BANCROFT 
LIBRARY' 

-> 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


ERRATA. 

In  2nd  line,  page  24,  read  "Sergeant  Prescott  instead  of  Sargeant  Trescott." 

In  10th  line,  page  39,  read  -"tered  into  the  service  for  active  duty  in  the 
south." 

In  12th  line,  page  91,  read  "afforded,  and  the  short  distance  of  the  protecting. 

In  1st  line,  page  101,  figure  in  parenthesis  after  4th  word  should  be  8  in- 
stead of  3. 


RECOLLECTIONS 


OF  THE 


SIOUX  MASSACRE 


AN  AUTHENTIC  HISTORY 

OF  THE 

Yellow  Medicine  Incident,  of  the  Fate  of  Marsh 

and  his  Men,  of  the  Siege  and  Battles  of 

Fort  Ridgely,  and  of  Other  Important 

Battles  and  Experiences. 

Together  with  a  Historical  Sketch  of  the 

SIBLEY  EXPEDITION  OF  1863. 


BY 
OSCAR  GARRETT  WALL. 

1909. 


'St. 

wig- 


Copyright   1908    • 
By  O.  G.  WALL. 


Printed  at 

"  The  Home  Printery," 
Lake  City,  Minn. 

By  M.  C.  Russell,  Prop'r. 


BANCROFT 
DEBAR* 


MY  EXCUSE. 


AS  rise  the  glorious  achievements  of  man  upon 
the  ruins  of  convulsed  Nature,  or  upon  the 
landscape  desolated  by  war,  so  out  of  that  night  of 
blood  that  hung  like  a  pall  over  the  Minnesota  fron- 
tier in  that  fateful  month  of  August,  1862,  has  grown 
in  all  essentials  except  form  of  government,  a 
mighty  empire. 

Before  the  Sioux  tragedy  was  enacted,  the  pioneer 
had  come,  and  on  the  borders  founded  his  home  in 
a  land  of  promise.  Clustered  about  him  were  dear 
ones  who,  in  this  land  of  freedom  and  health,  shared 
the  joys  and  hopes  that  pervaded  every  breath  in- 
haled. Here  was  the  opportunity  for  willing  hands 
and  honest  hearts— the  one  place  where  the  shack- 
les of  poverty  could  never  enslave  those  willing  to 
work.  Gradually  the  "  covered  wagon  "  gave  way 
to  the  **  shack  "  as  a  temporary  abiding  place,  and 
the  latter  to  the  more  comfortable  yet  modest  home 
of  the  settler. 

Small  fields  gave  forth  bountiful  harvests ;  gard- 
ens were  rich  with  their  treasures,  or  aglow  with 
fragrant  flowers ;  schools  were  being  founded,  and 
churches  organized,  though  widely  scattered ;  herds 
were  increasing  from  small  beginnings,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  life  the  dream  of  an  independent  home, 
with  its  comforts  and  promises,  was  being  realized. 

But  intrigue  had  secretly  and  systematically  laid 
the  foundation  of  wrongs  which  should  overthrow 


11 

these  bright  hopes ;  which  should  rob  these  new 
homes  not  only  of  all  their  possessions,  but  of  life 
itself,  and  leave  blackened  ruins,  the  skulls  and 
cross-bones  of  erstwhile  happy  homes,  where,  at  in- 
tervals over  vast  prairies,  the  new  dwellings  had 
glistened  in  the  golden  sunlight.  The  grafter  in 
the  Indian  department,  entrusted  with  power  and 
authority,  was  willing  to  imperil  the  whole  frontier 
for  the  sake  of  plundering  the  Indian,  who  was  no 
match  for  the  conspirators  acting  as  the  servants 
and  servants7  servants  of  the  government. 

Thus  the  Indian  was  taught  to  look  upon  the 
white  race  as  his  conniving,  secret  enemy,  willing 
to  violate  sacred  pledges  and  solemn  obligations, 
and  ready  to  take,  under  one  pretense  or  another, 
the  lion's  share  of  the  sums  pledged  to  him  by  the 
government.  In  fact  for  these  acts  of  bad  faith  and 
the  repeated  disappointments  resulting,  the  govern- 
ment itself  had  come  to  be  regarded  by  the  red  man 
as  unworthy  of  confidence.  Worst  of  all,  white  peo- 
ple indiscriminately  had  been  brought  under  the 
ban  by  the  misdeeds  of  government  employes  and 
avaricious  traders,  who  had  sown  the  wind  that  rip- 
ened into  the  whirlwind  with  which  the  border  was 
swept  without  distinction. 

But  the  savage  tide  was  turned  back  by  force  of 
arms,  and  was  so  broken  and  scattered  in  the  cam- 
paigns that  followed,  that  confidence  was  for  all  time 
restored  along  the  frontier. 

The  "  prairie  schooner  "  set  sail  again,  and  a  tide 
of  humanity  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  soldiery, 
until  at  length  perfect  civilization  marked,  not  alone 
the  wilds  of  western  Minnesota,  but  the  vast  plains 


Ill 


that  now  constitute  the  Dakotas  as  well ;  and,  what 
a  transformation  to  be  witnessed  in  a  single  life- 
time ! 

A  member  of  Captain  Marsh's  company,  stationed 
at  Fort  Ridgely,  at  the  time  of  the  massacre  in  1862, 
and  in  the  service  in  1863,  on  the  Sibley  expedition 
throughout  what  is  now  that  portion  of  North  Da- 
kota east  of  the  Missouri  River,  I  witnessed,  from 
beginning  to  end,  the  stormy  scenes  attending  the 
outbreak  and  its  suppression,  and  from  contact  and 
observation  became  very  familiar  with  the  history 
of  the  Sioux  Massacre.  But  even  these  facts  were 
but  a  slight  incentive  to  assume  the  arduous  task 
of  preserving  to  Northwestern  annals,  many  inci- 
dents forever  lost,  unless  passed  to  the  pages  of 
history  ere  the  final  departure  of  the  rapidly  vanish- 
ing participants  in  those  scenes  of  nearly  fifty  years 
ago ;  for  assuredly  the  waves  of  time  must  soon  for- 
ever close  over  the  unspoken  and  unwritten  of  that 
tragic  period. 

Though  yet  in  my  "  teens,"  I  kept  faithfully  each 
day  a  diary  of  events,  getting  information  when 
necessary,  from  the  highest  sources  of  authority, 
and  no  day  was  allowed  to  pass  without  the  record 
being  preserved.  No  matter  what  my  tasks,  I  would 
keep  my  diary.  I  had  no  special  future  purpose  in 
this,  and  placed  no  value  upon  the  book  after  being 
mustered  out  of  the  army  and  reaching  home,  but 
carelessly  left  it  with  other  relics  and  memories  of 
a  by-gone  day,  and  in  the  changes  that  followed, 
never  saw  it  again  for  over  twenty  years,  when,  on 
a  visit  to  my  mother,  she  presented  it  to  me,  hav- 
ing carefully  preserved  it.  I  had  supposed  it  lost, 


IV 


and  never  regarded  it  as  of  enough  value  to  merit 
an  inquiry  as  to  what  might  have  become  of  it.  In 
the  light  of  the  mature  present,  however,  I  find  its 
pages  full  of  interest  and  an  ample  reward  for  my 
painstaking. 

In  addition  to  this  I  had  a  messmate  and  intimate 
companion  during  the  campaign  of  1863,  John  Mc- 
Cole,  who  originally  belonged  to  and  was  an  officer 
of  the  Renville  Rangers,  and  whose  acquaintance 
I  made  during  the  siege  of  Fort  Ridgely  in  1862. 
Only  a  few  days  before  the  outbreak  he  had  enlist- 
ed at  Redwood,  having  up  to  that  time  for  several 
years  been  a  clerk  and  an  accountant  in  one  of  the 
stores  of  the  Agency.  He  knew  personally  and  well 
nearly  every  Indian  on  both  the  Upper  and  Lower 
reservations,  and  spoke  the  Sioux  language  fluent- 
ly. He  knew  intimately  all  the  Indian  scouts,  over 
sixty  in  number,  on  the  Sibley  expedition  of  1863, 
and  through  him  I  had  several  extended  interviews 
with  the  scouts,  and  particularly  with  Chaska,  be- 
tween whom  and  McCole  there  was  a  strong  bond 
of  friendship.  Chaska  had  throughout  remained 
loyal  to  the  whites,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life ; 
yet  he  knew  the  history  of  the  massacre  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  Indians,  and  was  most  interesting 
in  his  narrations,  and  particularly  interesting  in  ex- 
plaining how  lack  of  discipline  caused  Little  Crow's 
plans  to  miscarry  immediately  after  the  massacre 
at  the  Agency,  to  the  great  advantage  of  Fort  Ridge- 
ly and  the  whites  generally. 

Forty-seven  years  having  elapsed,  and  no  one  thus 
far  having  cared  to  incur  the  expense  and  risks  or 
assume  the  labor  necessary  to  publishing  much  of 


interest  thus  far  unwritten,  and  which  is  an  import- 
ant part  of  Northwestern  history,  and  possessing 
an  accumulation  of  matter  and  information  as  stated 
herein,  I  give  to  the  public  without  apology  or  fur- 
ther excuse,  the  succeeding  pages,  conscious  that 
among  other  things  they  contain  the  only  detailed 
historical  account  of  the  Sibley  Expedition  of  1863 
ever  published. 

O.  G.  W. 


RECOLLECTIONS 

OF 

The  Sioux  Massacre  of  1 862 


Cause  of  the  Outbreak. 

HE  impositions  perpetrated  on  the  Indi- 
ans, if  not  by  the  government  agents,  at 
least  by  their  approval,  were  monu- 
mental. The  Indians,  instead  of  being 
put  in  possession  of  their  own,  and  given 
protection,  were  plundered  on  every 
hand,  and  the  gross  injustice  inflicted  as  inevitably 
adjusted  itself  at  the  doors  of  the  government  offi- 
cials as  the  detached  leaf  adjusts  itself  to  the  law 
of  gravitation. 

A  thousand  lives  having  been  blotted  out  by  meth- 
ods horrible  to  contemplate,  and  a  vast  area  of  beau- 
tiful country  having  been  made  barren  and  deso- 
late, friends  sought  to  mitigate  the  sins  of  derelict 
officers  when  the  angry  clouds  of  responsibility 
gathered  about  their  heads,  and  strove  to  break  the 
force  of  the  awful  consequences  of  their  official  sins, 
by  belittling  troublesome  truths  and  pointing  alone 
to  the  depravity  of  the  savage  race ;  but  that  the 


10  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Sioux  massacre  of  1862  was  due  to  official  chicanery 
there  is  little  doubt,  and  fortunate  was  the  official 
whose  good  name  saved  him  blameless  for  acts  open 
to  suspicion  or  criticism.  To  merely  perpetuate 
these  facts,  is  not  the  object  of  their  recital  in  this 
book.  My  preference  was  to  omit  this  chapter ;  but, 
to  judge  the  Indian  fairly,  and  by  the  standard  we 
ourselves  would  be  judged,  a  hint  at  the  great 
wrongs  done  the  Sioux,  should  live  in  the  ages  to 
come,  along  with  the  history  of  their  revengeful 
deeds. 

To  go  to  the  beginning  of  corruption  and  intrigue 
in  the  Indian  department,  would  be  to  penetrate  the 
dim  and  dusty  mists  of  the  musty  past,  which  is  no 
part  of  the  mission  of  this  book.  We  need  turn  no 
farther  than  to  the  treaty  of  Traverse  des  Sioux 
(Saint  Peter)  of  1851,  to  have  our  eyes  opened  to 
the  methods  in  which  the  Sioux  massacre  had 
its  conception  and  in  which,  continued,  it  had  its 
birth. 

The  crimes  committed  against  the  red  race,  in 
what  assumed  to  be  honorable  treaties,  and  in  the 
carrying  out  of  the  terms  of  those  treaties,  would 
not  have  been  tolerated  for  a  day  by  white  men. 
The  whites  would  have  put  the  treaty-makers  and 
treaty-breakers  to  flight  or  to  death.  With  treaties 
fairly  obtained,  and  their  terms  honorably  adminis- 
tered, there  would,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume,  have 
been  no  Sioux  massacre. 

When  the  Traverse  des  Sioux  treaty  was  consum- 
mated it  was  supposed  by  the  Indians  they  would 
receive  the  purchase  price  of  their  lands,  but  to 
their  consternation  the  traders  gathered  like  vul- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  1 1 

tures  and  presented  claims  for  goods  sold  to  the  In- 
dians on  credit  for  nearly  $400,000,  or  a  sum  consid- 
erably in  excess  of  the  amount  the  Sioux  were  to 
receive,  and  the  monstrous  claims  of  the  traders 
were  recognized  by  the  Indian  authorities.  Added 
to  these  were  charges  for  removing  the  Indians 
from  the  lands  they  had  ceded  by  treaty  to  within 
new  boundaries. 

Claims  for  depredations  upon  traders  or  settlers 
by  lawless  Indians  had  been  filed  with  the  Indian 
department,  and  on  ex-parte  evidence  or  none  at  all, 
were  allowed,  and  the  amount  ordered  deducted 
from  the  sum  total  of  payments  to  be  made,  thus 
robbing  the  law-abiding  to  make  good  for  alleged 
offenses  committed  by  lawless  Indians.  The  policy 
was  first  to  secure  the  signatures  of  the  chiefs  to  a 
sale  of  tribal  lands,  frequently  by  doubtful  methods, 
in  payment  for  which  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dol- 
lars were  provided  from  the  United  States  treas- 
ury; but  the  enormous  sums  of  gold  were  swept 
from  the  pay-table  by  questionable  claims,  and  the 
Indian  found  himself  possessed  of  neither  land  nor 
money. 

The  indignation  of  the  Indians  was  such  that  vio- 
lence to  the  officials  of  the  government  in  attend- 
ance, was  imminent.  Hon.  Alexander  Ramsey,  as 
Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  a  member  of 
the  Treaty  Commission,  in  attendance  at  the  great 
council  of  December,  1852,  at  Traverse  des  Sioux, 
sought  to  discipline  Red  Iron,  chief  of  the  Sisse- 
tons,  because  of  his  indignation  at  what  he  pro- 
nounced high-handed  methods  on  the  part  of  repre- 
sentatives of  the  government.  Gov.  Ramsey  de- 


12  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

posed  Red  Iron  from  his  chieftainship,  and  had  him 
arrested  by  the  soldiery  in  attendance,  and  brought 

before  the  commission  in 
irons,  when  the  following 
coloquy  took  place,  Red 
Iron  being"  commanded  to 
arise. 

Gov.  Ramsey,  with  a 
sternness  for  which  he  was 
noted,  addressed  the  de- 
posed chief  as  follows: 
"  What  excuse  have  you  for 
not  coming  to  the  council 
RED  IRON.  when  I  sent  for  you  ?" 

Red  Iron,  stately  in  stature  and  in  the  maturity 
of  middle  age,  nonchalantly  met  the  issue  without 
a  suspicion  of  embarrassment,  amid  the  profound 
silence  his  calm  demeanor  commanded,  with  not 
even  a  scowl,  fixing  his  eye  sternly  on  his  interlo- 
cutor, he  replied :  "  I  started  to  come,  but  your 
braves  drove  me  back." 

Governor  Ramsey :  "  What  excuse  have  you  for 
not  coming  the  second  time  I  sent  for  you?" 

Red  Iron :  "  No  other  excuse  than  I  have  given 
you." 

Governor  Ramsey :  "At  the  treaty  I  thought  you 
a  good  man,  but  since,  you  have  acted  badly,  and 
I  am  disposed  to  break  you ;  I  do  break  you." 

Red  Iron,  with  emphasis :  "  You  break  me  !  My 
people  made  me  a  chief.  My  people  love  me ;  I 
will  still  be  their  chief.  I  have  done  nothing 
wrong." 

Governor  Ramsey:   "Red  Iron,  why  did  you  get 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  13 

your  braves  together,  and  march  around  here  for 
the  purpose  of  intimidating  other  chiefs,  and  pre- 
vent them  coming:  to  the  council  ?" 

Red  Iron :  "  I  did  not  get  my  braves  together ; 
they  got  together  themselves  to  prevent  boys  going 
to  council  to  be  made  chiefs  to  sign  papers,  and  to 
prevent  single  chiefs  going  to  council  at  night  to  be 
bribed  to  sign  papers  for  money  we  never  received. 
We  have  heard  how  the  M'dewakantons  were  served 
at  Mendota— that  by  secret  councils  you  got  their 
names  on  paper  and  then  took  their  money.  We 
don't  want  to  be  served  so.  My  braves  want  to  come 
to  council  in  daytime,  when  the  sun  shines,  and  we 
want  no  council  in  the  dark.  We  want  all  our  peo- 
ple to  counsel  together,  so  that  we  can  all  know 
what  was  done." 

Governor  Ramsey:  uWhy  did  you  attempt  to 
come  to  the  council  with  your  braves  when  I  had 
forbidden  your  braves  coming  to  council  ?n 

Red  Iron :  "  You  invited  the  chiefs  only,  and 
would  not  let  the  braves  come  too.  This  is  not  the 
way  we  have  been  treated  before ;  this  is  not  ac- 
cording to  our  customs,  for,  among  the  Dakotas, 
chiefs  and  braves  go  to  council  together.  When 
you  first  sent  for  us  there  were  two  or  three  chiefs 
here,  and  we  wanted  to  wait  until  the  rest  would 
come,  that  we  might  all  be  in  council  together,  and 
know  what  was  done,  and  so  that  we  might  all  un- 
derstand the  papers,  and  know  what  we  were  sign- 
ing. When  roe  signed  the  treaty  the  traders  threw  blankets 
over  our  faces  and  darkened  our  eyes,  and  made  us  sign  papers 
we  did  not  understand,  and  which  were  not  explained  or  read  to 


14  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

us.  We  want  our  Great  Father  at  Washington  to 
know  what  has  been  done." 

Governor  Ramsey :  "  Your  Great  Father  has  sent 
me  to  represent  him.  What  I  say  he  says.  He 
wants  you  to  pay  your  old  debts  in  accordance  with 
the  papers  you  signed  when  the  treaty  was  made 
[the  papers  signed  when  the  Indians  were  blind- 
folded] ,  and  to  leave  that  money  in  my  hands  to  pay 
these  debts.  If  you  refuse  to  do  that  I  will  take  the 
money  back." 

Red  Iron :  "  You  take  the  money  back.  We  sold 
our  land  to  you  and  you  promised  to  pay  us.  If  you 
don't  pay  us  I  will  be  glad,  for  we  will  have  our  land 
back  if  you  don't  give  us  the  money.  That  paper 
was  not  explained  to  us.  We  are  told  it  gives  about 
$300,000  of  our  money  to  some  of  the  traders.  We 
don't  think  we  owe  them  so  much.  We  want  to  pay 
our  debts.  We  want  our  Great  Father  to  send  three 
good  men  here  to  tell  us  how  much  we  do  owe,  and 
whatever  they  say  we  will  pay,"  and,  turning  to  his 
assembled  people,  "  that  is  what  these  braves  say. 
Our  chiefs  and  all  our  people  say  this."  u  Ho,  ho," 
responded  the  chiefs  and  braves. 

Governor  Ramsey :     "That  can't  be  done.    You 

owe  more  than  your  money  will  pay,  and  I  am  ready 

.  now  to  pay  your  annuity,  and  no  more,  and  when 

you  are  ready  to  receive  it  the  agent  will  pay  you." 

Red  Iron :  "  We  will  receive  our  annuity,  but  we 
will  sign  no  papers  for  anything  else.  The  snow  is 
on  the  ground,  and  we  have  been  waiting  a  long 
time  to  receive  our  money.  We  are  poor.  You  have 
plenty.  Your  fires  are  warm ;  your  tepees  keep  out 
the  cold.  We  have  nothing  to  eat.  We  have  been 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  15 

waiting"  a  long  time  for  our  moneys.  Our  hunting 
season  is  past.  A  great  many  of  our  people  are  sick 
from  being  hungry.  We  may  die  because  you  won't 
pay  us.  We  may  die,  but  if  we  do  we  will  leave 
our  bones  on  the  ground,  that  our  Great  Father  may 
see  where  his  Dakota  children  died.  We  have  sold 
our  hunting  grounds  and  the  graves  of  our  fathers. 
We  have  sold  our  own  graves.  We  have  no  place 
to  bury  our  dead,  and  you  will  not  pay  us  for  our 
lands." 

Red  Iron  was  removed  under  guard  and  locked 
up,  and  the  $300,000  treaty  money  was  paid  to  the 
traders.  The  Indians  were  wild  with  indignation, 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  they  were  restrained  from 
slaughtering  the  officials  and  the  traders. 

Thus  the  seeds  of  hatred  were  newly  sown,  and 
offenses  revived  and  set  ablaze.  Time  rolled  on. 
The  policy  was  perpetuated.  The  offenses  of  the 
officials  and  the  traders  were  made  the  offenses  of 
the  whole  white  race.  If  the  servants  of  the  people 
were  the  enemies  of  the  red  men,  was  it  not  evident 
by  this  same  token  that  the  power  that  created 
these  officials,  the  white  race,  was  an  enemy?  So 
these  simple  people  reasoned. 

One  of  the  claims  allowed  by  these  officials  out 
of  the  treaty  fund  at  this  council  was  that  of  $55,000 
to  Hugh  Tyler,  a  man  utterly  unknown  to  the  Indi- 
ans, "for  assisting  to  get  the  treaty  measure  through  the  Unit- 
ed States  Senate,  and  for  necessary  disbursements."  Thous- 
ands of  dollars  were  thus  absorbed,  as  history  test- 
ifies. 

Referring  to  these  crimes  and  the  resulting  mas- 
sacre of  1862,  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Whipple, 


16  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

a  man  of  temperate  language  and  a  high  authority, 
spoke  as  follows  after  the  Minnesota  frontier  had 
been  made  desolate : 

u  There  is  not  a  man  in  America,  who  ever  gave 
an  hour's  calm  reflection  to  the  subject,  who  does 
not  know  that  our  Indian  system  is  an  organized 
system  of  robbery,  and  has  been  for  years  a  dis- 
grace to  the  nation.  It  has  left  savage  men  without 
governmental  control ;  it  has  looked  on  unconcerned 
at  every  crime  against  the  laws  of  God  and  man ;  it 
has  fostered  savage  life  by  wasting  thousands  of 
dollars  in  the  purchase  of  paint,  beads,  scalping- 
knives  and  tomahawks ;  it  has  fostered  a  system  of 
trade  which  robbed  the  thrifty  and  virtuous  to  pay 
the  debts  of  the  indolent  and  vicious ;  it  has  squan- 
dered the  funds  for  civilization  and  schools ;  it  has 
connived  at  theft ;  it  has  winked  at  murder,  and  at 
last,  after  dragging  the  savage  down  to  a  brutishness 
unknown  to  his  fathers,  it  has  brought  a  harvest  of 
blood  to  our  own  door." 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  17 


Yellow  Medicine. 

In  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of 
1851,  the  Indians  concerned  in  that  treaty  assem- 
bled at  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency  about  the  first 
of  July,  1862,  to  receive  their  annuities. 

As  a  precautionary  measure,  in  view  of  the  thou- 
sands of  Indians  to  be  assembled,  fifty  men  of  Co. 
C,  of  the  Fifth,  stationed  at  Fort  Ripley,  were  sent 
forward  by  Captain  Francis  Hall  as  a  reinforcement 
to  Co.  B,  which  constituted  the  garrison  at  Fort 
Ridgely.  This  detachment  left  Fort  Ripley  under 
First  Lieutenant  T.  J.  Sheehan,  June  19, 1862,  march- 
ing by  way  of  Elk  River,  Henderson,  etc.,  for  want 
of  a  good  road  more  directly  connecting  in  that  day 
the  two  forts.  Lieutenant  Sheehan's  march  covered 
a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles,  his  destination  be- 
ing reached  on  the  evening  of  the  ninth  day,  or 
June  28th. 

There  were  three  companies  of  the  Fifth  station- 
ed on  the  frontier— B  at  Fort  Ridgely,  C  at  Fort 
Ripley,  on  the  Mississippi  River,  and  D  at  Fort  Ab- 
ercrombie,  on  the  Red  River  of  the  North.  The  de- 
tachment from  Co.  C,  and  a  like  number  from  Co. 
B  were  dispatched  on  the  30th  day  of  June,  1862,  to 
Yellow  Medicine,  where  the  payment  was  to  be 
made,  leaving  Fort  Ridgely  under  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant Sheehan  as  ranking  officer,  the  command  ar- 
riving at  the  Upper,  or  Yellow  Medicine  Agency, 
on  the  2d  day  of  July. 


18  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

All  was  expectancy  among  the  thousands  of  Indi- 
ans, and  added  to  anticipation  were  the  combined 
elements  for  making1  the  occasion  a  heyday  most 
enjoyable.  The  seasons  had  unfolded  their  wealth 
of  luxuries ;  the  redolent  hills  and  plains,  with  their 
wild  flowers  and  carpet  of  native  green,  were  little 
less  than  enchanting,  even  to  other  than  the  "  chil- 
dren of  Nature ;"  the  wooded  glens  of  the  beautiful 
streams  that  near  this  spot  unite  their  waters,  were 
suggestive  of  happiness ;  Nature  had  solved  the 
baffling  enigma  that  gave  the  world  once  more,  with 
its  varied  species,  hues  and  forms,  the  tranquil 
summertime. 

Each  day  witnessed  the  influx  of  large  bands  of 
Indians,  until  all  had  reached  this  modern  Mecca. 
The  great  gathering  was  a  sight  to  behold,  with  its 
confusion  of  strange  humanity,  wolf-eared  dogs  and 
pot-bellied  ponies,  and  its  vast  array  of  tepees  that 
sheltered  the  six  thousand  or  more  nomads. 

Dreaming  not  of  disappointment,  happiness 
reigned  throughout  the  great  throng.  But  a  single 
foreboding  disturbed  the  spirits  of  these  wanderers 
of  the  plains,  and  that  was,  that  the  hated,  grasping 
traders  would  intervene  to  rob  them  of  their  annui- 
ties. The  trader,  who  always  "  stood  in  "  with  the 
agents  and  other  Indian  officials,  was  the  bogie  of 
the  red  man.  As  the  anticipated  day  of  payment 
drew  near,  the  Indian  dread  of  his  time-honored  en- 
emy increased,  this  dread  finally  manifesting  itself 
in  a  request  that  Lieutenants  Sheehan  and  Gere, 
the  latter  of  Co.  B,  meet  the  chiefs  and  braves  in 
council.  The  lieutenants  acceded  to  the  request, 
and  entering  the  council  circle,  were  regaled  with 


OF  THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  19 

Indian  oratory  and  the  formality  common  to  such 
councils.  Confiding  their  misgivings  to  the  young 
officers,  they  besought  their  intervention  at  the 
making  of  the  payment.  The  speeches  were  all  of 
one  purport,  prefaced  with  a  bit  of  self-agrandize- 
ment,  and  then  they  impressively  proceeded  to  re- 
mind the  officers  that  the  traders  were  always  al- 
lowed to  sit  at  the  pay-table  and  take  the  money  of 
the  Indians ;  this  the  council  implored  the  officers 
to  prevent,  and  the  savages  were  manifestly  disap- 
pointed when  told  by  the  officers  that  the  soldiers 
were  powerless  to  restrain  the  traders  without  au- 
thority to  do  so  from  the  Agent. 

Days  ripened  into  weeks,  but  the  promised  annu- 
ities came  not.  The  civil  war  was  at  white  heat. 
Gold  was  in  great  demand,  and  paper  money  fifty 
per  cent,  below  par.  Indian  .  superintendents  and 
agents  were  not  above  temptation.  There  was  a 
fortune  in  the  clever  conversion  of  the  gold  provid- 
ed, into  paper,  or  more  familiarly,  greenbacks,  and 
it  was  said  the  gold  was  converted  into  currency 
at  a  handsome  profit.  The  treaty  called  for  spe- 
cie payment,  and  as  the  Indians  knew  nothing  of 
paper,  it  was  pointed  out  they  would  scorn  it  with 
disappointment  and  indignation.  Re-conversion, 
the  story  ran,  was  attended  with  much  loss  of  time, 
as  well  as  financial  sacrifice  which  the  parties  to 
the  transaction  sought  industriously  but  unsuccess- 
fully to  avoid,  as  gold  was  constantly  seeking  the 
coffers  of  hoarders,  while  paper  money  was  contin- 
ually depreciating  in  value.  That  the  fatal  delay 
in  making  the  Indian  payment  was  due  to  specula- 
tion, was  oft  asserted,  never  denied  and  generally 


20  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

believed  at  the  Fort  and  the  Agencies.  To  this  de- 
lay, whatever  may  have  been  its  cause,  was  the  out- 
break largely  attributable. 

Hunger  hears  excuses  impatiently  at  best.  Bro- 
ken promises  and  hunger  together,  when  an  Indian 
is  the  victim,  will  undo  more  confidence  in  a  day 
than  many  earnest  missionaries  could  inspire  in  a 
year.  The  assembled  Indians  were  kept  in  waiting 
for  several  weeks,  during  which  time  hunger  be- 
came widespread,  and  starvation  actually  threaten- 
ed. In  fact  famine  was  only  averted  by  the  kill- 
ing of  dogs  and  ponies,  and  the  digging  of  roots 
with  which  to  stay  this  hunger.  Indian  chil- 
dren were  actually  reported  to  have  starved  to 
death  as  a  result  of  the  dalliance  in  making  the  pay- 
ment and  issuing  the  provisions. 

While  authorities  assign  various  reasons  for  the 
Sioux  massacre  of  1862,  no  doubt  had  the  gold  pay- 
ment been  promptly  made  in  good  faith  at  the  ap- 
pointed time,  the  murdered  settlers  and  the  hapless 
traders  would  have  been  spared  to  work  out  the  or- 
dinary problems  of  life  undisturbed. 

On  the  14th  of  July  a  tour  of  inspection  was  made 
of  the  monstrous  Indian  camp  to  ascertain  if  it  was 
true,  as  rumored,  that  a  large  number  of  Sioux  were 
present  who  were  not  entitled  to  annuities.  The  ru- 
mor was  well-founded,  there  being  several  hundred 
Yanktonais  and  Cut-heads,  who  were  merely  hopeful 
visitors.  Such  a  gathering  of  Sioux  has  never  since 
taken  place  on  Minnesota  soil,  and  its  like  will  never 
be  witnessed  again.  This  city  of  the  plains  number- 
ed seven  hundred  and  seventy-nine  lodges,  and  was 
imposing  both  for  its  vastness  and  for  the  thousands 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  21 

who  made  up  the  aggregate  of  its  inhabitants. 

The  policy  of  dalliance  went  heedlessly  on.  The 
Indians  were  known  to  be  destitute.  The  surround- 
ing country  had  been  swept  bare  of  nearly  every 
available  living  creature  which  would  serve  them 
as  food.  There  were  provisions  in  abundance  in 
the  Government  warehouse,  belonging  to  the  Indi- 
ans, but  they  were  withheld  to  be  delivered  at  the 
time  of  payment.  It  would  not  do  to  go  through 
the  farcical  form  of  making  the  annual  payment  and 
have  the  money  swept  from  the  pay-table  by  the 
traders  with  no  provisions  on  hand  with  which  to 
appease  the  wrath  of  the  disappointed  Indians ;  so 
these  provisions  must  be  held.  It  would  be  safe  to 
sweep  the  pay-table  if  only  at  the  opportune  moment 
the  hungry  stomachs  of  the  Indians  could  be  flat- 
tered with  enough  bacon  and  flour  for  a  few  meals. 
Not  to  observe  this  precaution  might  be  hazardous 
to  the  hopes  of  men  to  whom  longevity  had  its  fas- 
cinations. 

On  the  18th  the  Indians  reported  their  condition 
unendurable  from  lack  of  food.  Starvation,  they 
said,  was  in  their  midst.  Agent  Galbraith  thought 
there  was  no  occasion  for  alarm,  but  Lieutenant 
Sheehan,  reasoning  from  the  temper  of  a  hungry 
man,  sent  to  Fort  Ridgely,  fifty-two  miles  away,  for 
a  second  twelve-pound  mountain  howitzer. 

Lieutenants  Sheehan  and  Gere,  conscious  that 
conditions  existed  that  should  be  logically  met,  from 
at  least  a  humanitarian  standpoint,  advised  the  issu- 
ing of  provisions  to  the  famishing  people  assembled 
in  such  vast  numbers.  On  the  21st  of  July  Agent 
Galbraith  assured  these  officers  he  would  arrange 


22  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

to  count  the  Indians,  issue  the  provisions  and  send 
the  assembled  Sioux  back  to  their  hunting-grounds. 
On  the  26th  of  July  the  Indians  were  counted,  more 
than  twelve  hours  being  required  in  which  to  make 
the  enumeration.  Even  up  to  ten  days  after  this 
preparatory  enumeration  no  provisions  had  been 
issued.  At  last  starvation  forced  a  crisis.  On  the 
morning  of  August  4th  two  Indian  messengers  en- 
tered the  little  military  camp  and  informed  the  sol- 
diers the  Indians  were  coming  down  to  make  a  dem- 
onstration ;  that  they  would  come  armed,  but  they 
wished  the  soldiers  to  understand  there  was  no  pre- 
meditated hostility  in  this  visit.  A  moment  later 
there  came  like  the  wind  a  thousand  warriors,  firing 
their  guns  wildly  and  yelling  like  demons.*  No  or- 
acle was  needed  to  warn  the  little  band  of  soldiers, 
just  one  hundred  strong,  that  a  climax  had  at  last 
been  reached,  and  that  their  lives  were  in  peril. 
The  hundreds  of  horsemen  were  but  little  in  ad- 
vance of  the  fleet  warriors  on  foot.  They  complete- 
ly encircled  the  little  military  camp,  and  could  have 
crushed  it  at  a  single  blow.  The  clicking  of  their 
gun-locks  showed  they  were  ready,  with  pieces 
cocked,  should  a  soldier  fire  a  shot.  The  starving 
Indians  had  come,  not  to  make  war,  but  to  forcibly 
take  what  they  had  peaceably  pleaded  for  in  vain 
for  nearly  two  weeks— provisions,  of  which  they 
knew  there  was  an  abundant  supply,  belonging  to 
them.  Mah-ka-tah,  the  chosen  leader  of  the  raid, 
rushed  to  the  warehouse  and  struck  the  door  a  ring- 
ing blow  with  his  tomahawk.  Like  clockwork  the 

*  It  was  precisely  two  weeks  from  this  very  hour  that  the  massacre  began  at 
the  Redwood  Agency. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  23 

soldiery  was  brought  into  line  with  a  promptness 
that  even  the  Indians  contemplated  with  a  look  of 
envy.  But  the  Indians  themselves  had  acted  with 
a  promptness  and  coolness  in  carrying1  out  their  de- 
sign, as  unexpected  as  it  was  daring.  It  became 
apparent  their  demonstration  was  made  with  a  view 
of  overawing  the  soldiers  while  a  party  of  warriors 
should  break  down  the  warehouse  door  and  take 
possession  of  the  stores.  They  quickly  effected  an 
entrance  to  the  building  and  were  removing  flour. 
Lieutenant  Gere  ordered  his  men  to  remove  the  tar- 
paulin that  sheltered  the  howitzers,  and  quickly 
trained  a  gun  on  the  warehouse  door.  If  there  is 
anything  for  which  an  Indian  shows  a  wholesome 
respect,  it  is  a  cannon.  Those  who  were  removing 
the  sacks  of  flour  were  warned  of  their  danger,  and 
glancing  at  the  big  gun,  fell  back  to  the  right  and 
left  in  haste  and  confusion,  leaving  an  opening  down 
through  which  Lieutenant  Sheehan  and  Sergeant  S. 
A.  Trescott  marched  with  a  squad  of  sixteen  men. 
Lieutenant  Sheehan  proceeded  to  the  office  of  Agent 
Galbraith  for  a  conference.  Trescott,  a  man  of  res- 
olution and  coolness  (who,  by  the  way,  was  killed  at 
the  ferry  just  two  weeks  from  this  date,  whither  he 
had  gone  with  Captain  Marsh  on  the  ill-fated  march 
to  the  Lower  Agency),  cleared  the  warehouse  of  the 
Indians.  He  and  his  men  having  accomplished  this 
task,  stood  defiantly  at  the  entrance  of  the  building. 
Every  fibre  of  manhood  was  now  at  its  extremest 
tension.  The  Indians  were  wrought  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  excitement  and  determination.  A  spark 
would  have  exploded  the  savage  wrath  that  had  at 
last  reached  the  limit  of  suppression.  The  miracle 


24  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

is  that  the  massacre  that  was  deferred  just  two  weeks 
to  a  day  was  not  here  and  now  begun.  Two  of  Sar- 
geant  Trescott's  men  were  stationed  at  the  ware- 
house entrance,  one  on  either  side  of  the  door,  with 
their  guns  crossed  to  bar  entrance  to  the  build- 
ing. The  ejected  Indians  hurled  themselves  back 
at  the  entrance,  and  in  an  instant  the  gun  of  James 
Foster,  one  of  the  guards,  was  covered  from  lock  to 
muzzle  with  the  hands  of  the  warriors  who  sought 
to  wrest  the  weapon  from  him.  In  this  struggle  the 
gun  was  discharged,  but  fortunately  without  injury 
to  any  one.  All  eyes  were  on  this  struggle,  and  it  was 
plain  the  discharge  of  the  musket  was  accidental, 
though  the  men,  red  and  white,  were  writhing  in  an 
encounter  of  desperation  which  threatened  instant- 
ly to  involve  every  element  present. 

On  the  one  hand  were  officers  of  courage,  judg- 
ment and  coolness,  with  men  at  their  command  as 
true  in  pluck  and  discipline  as  were  ever  lined  up. 
On  the  other  hand  were  savages  tortured  with  hun- 
ger, and  whose  families  were  in  distress,  but  who 
were  determined  not  to  be  the  first  to  shed  blood  in 
open  conflict  if  avoidable,  be  it  said  to  their  credit. 

Realizing  the  gravity  of  the  situation  and  the  dire 
consequences  of  the  step  from  which  there  could  be 
no  recession,  there  was  mutual  relaxation  in  defer- 
ence to  reason  at  an  instant  when  the  taking  of  life 
seemed  inevitable. 

The  chiefs  plead  the  necessities  of  their  people, 
and  urged  that  the  provisions  stored  in  the  ware- 
house belonged  to  the  Indians,  and  that  they  were 
unjustly  withheld  from  distribution  at  a  time  of 
great  suffering.  The  officers,  now  that  a  lull  had 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE. 25 

succeeded  the  white-heat  of  excitement,  advised  the 
Indian  Agent  to  make  an  issue  of  provisions.  He 
hesitated,  explaining  that  he  doubted  the  effect  up- 
on the  Indians  from  a  disciplinary  point  of  view, 
but  realizing1  the  moment  was  one  of  great  danger 
he  acted  upon  the  suggestion,  but  the  issue  was 
wholly  inadequate  to  the  occasion,  and  the  Indians 
did  not  disperse  until  the  military  assumed  a  threat- 
ening attitude  by  forming  a  line  of  battle  for  the 
protection  of  the  warehouse.  There  was  now  left 
to  the  Indians  but  one  of  two  alternatives — that  of 
beginning  hostilities  or  withdrawing  peaceably  to 
their  camp.  They  chose  the  latter,  but  sullenly. 

The  Indians  were  displeased  and  angry,  and  held 
a  stormy  council  after  their  withdrawal  to  their 
lodges.  A  widespread  feeling  of  hostility  prevailed, 
and  excitement  was  again  in  the  ascendant,  fiery 
speeches  calling  forth  the  approving  "  Ho,  ho,"  on 
every  hand.  Delay,  hunger  and  broken  promises 
had  disarmed  those  chiefs  who  had  preached  the 
virtues  of  patience  and  forbearance,  and  they  re- 
ceived scant  courtesy  in  this  turbulent  conclave  of 
maddened  warriors. 

Among  those  who  stood  for  peace  and  forbear- 
ance was  Standing  Buffalo,  chief  of  one  of  the  Sis- 
seton  bands.  The  decision  of  the  council  favored 
immediate  hostilities,  amid  the  wildest  excitement, 
the  entire  council  being  committed  by  the  action  of 
the  majority.  Under  the  license  of  such  a  vote  it 
is  a  matter  of  wonder  the  massacre  was  not  at  this 
time  precipitated.  That  it  was  not  was  due  to  the 
dogged  persistence  of  Standing  Buffalo  and  his 
friends  and  supporters,  whose  course,  though  un- 


26  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

popular,  had  a  restraining  influence  over  chiefs  and 
warriors  of  the  more  conservative  type,  who,  in 
turn,  after  the  decision  of  the  council,  were  non- 
concurrent,  even  if  silent. 

The  council  at  an  end,  Standing:  Buffalo  repaired 
to  the  military  camp  and  reported  that  war  had  been 
decided  upon ;  that  he  had  opposed  the  result,  but 
having-  participated  in  the  deliberations  of  the  coun- 
cil, was  bound  by  the  decision.  He  warned  the  mil- 
itary to  be  on  the  alert. 

The  troops  were  put  in  the  best  possible  condi- 
tion for  defensive  purposes,  while  the  citizens  at 
the  Agency,  together  with  all  available  means  of 
defense  took  refuge  in  the  Government  warehouse. 
There  was  a  feeling  of  the  greatest  apprehension, 
with  good  reason  for  it.  As  a  result  of  this  appre- 
hensiveness  Lieutenant  Gere  was  dispatched  to 
Fort  Ridgely  on  the  5th,  to  confer  with  Captain 
Marsh.  This  young  officer  was  at  all  times  equal  to 
the  demands  made  upon  him.  Means  for  convey- 
ance were  not  of  the  best,  but  leaving  Yellow  Med- 
icine at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  passing 
through  the  Redwood  Agency  at  midnight,  he 
reached  Fort  Ridgely  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing of  August  6th,  where  he  called  Captain  Marsh 
from  his  slumbers,  and  acquainted  him  with  the 
dangerous  condition  of  affairs  at  the  Upper  Agency. 
After  a  brief  conference  Captain  Marsh  joined  Lieu- 
tenant Gere,  and  they  set  out  at  once  for  the  Yellow 
Medicine  Agency,  which  they  reached  at  1:30  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of  August  6th.  After  the  arrival 
of  these  officers,  the  hand  of  violence  having  been 
stayed,  a  council  of  the  Indians  was  secured  by 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  27 

Agent  Galbraith  and  Captain  Marsh,  at  which  it  was 
agreed  that  the  stock  of  annuities,  consisting  of 
provisions  and  other  stores,  should  be  issued  at 
once ;  that  the  Indians  should  repair,  after  receiv- 
ing their  allotments,  to  their  homes  or  to  the  great 
hunting-grounds  to  the  westward,  to  be  recalled 
again  on  the  arrival  of  their  money.  The  issue  be- 
gan on  the  afternoon  of  August  7th,  and  continued 
for  two  days  thereafter,  the  Indians  breaking  camp 
as  rapidly  as  they  could  be  reached  in  regular  order, 
so  that  by  the  time  the  last  of  the  supplies  were  is- 
sued, the  great  camp  had  disappeared. 

Never  was  calamity  more  narrowly  averted ;  and 
did  not  the  success  attending  this  adjustment  lead 
Captain  Marsh  into  the  very  jaws  of  death  ten  days 
later  ? 

Smarting  under  their  hardships  and  the  long  suc- 
cession of  broken  promises  and  disappointments, 
the  Indians  spread  away  to  repeople  the  vast  plains, 
but  they  were  filled  with  wrath. 

The  military  detachment  withdrew  from  the 
Agency  on  the  llth  of  August,  and  arrived  at 
Fort  Ridgely  on  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  and 
nothing  being  heard  of  the  Indian  Superintendent 
and  the  long-promised  money,  Captain  Marsh  is- 
sued an  order  for  the  return  of  Lieutenant  Sheehan 
and  detachment  to  their  company  headquarters  at 
Fort  Ripley.  Lieutenant  Sheehan  set  out  on  his 
march  on  the  17th,  the  very  day  upon  which  oc- 
curred the  massacre  at  Acton.  He  was  unconscious 
of  this  fact  however,  until  a  courier,  dispatched  af- 
ter him  by  Captain  Marsh  on  the  18th,  overtook  him 
at  dusk  of  that  day  as  he  had  gone  into  camp  be- 


28  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

tween  New  Auburn  and  Glencoe.  He  had  made 
forty-two  miles  in  the  two  days'  march  from  Fort 
Ridgely,  but  immediately  struck  camp  and  retraced 
his  steps  with  great  energy,  marching  all  night  and 
covering  the  forty-two  miles'  distance  by  the  early 
forenoon  of  the  next  day,  his  continuous  march  from 
the  morning  of  the  18th  until  the  morning  of  the 
19th,  being  over  sixty  miles,  without  rest.  The  bat- 
tle at  the  Redwood  ferry  had  been  fought,  and  Cap- 
tain Marsh  and  a  large  number  of  his  men  had  gone 
down  to  death.  Lieutenant  Sheehan  thus  became 
the  ranking  officer,  and  hence  the  commander  of 
Fort  Ridgely. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  29 


Beginning  of  the  Outbreak. 

From  what  frivolous  acts  matters  of  the  gravest 
consequence  may  flow,  was  well  illustrated  by  the 
folly  which  immediately  precipitated  the  Sioux 
massacre.  Lack  of  mental  breadth  and  the  absence 
of  fundamental  principles  upon  which  to  found 
character,  charitably  interpose  themselves  as  an  ar- 
gument of  extenuation  in  behalf  of  the  vagabond 
savage.  There  was  lurking  in  the  Indian  heart  a 
vengeful  spirit.  He  had  been  wronged  and  he  knew 
it.  He  had  been  robbed  by  the  traders  through  the 
connivance  of  dishonest  agents.  He  had  this  year 
been  called  from  his  hunting-grounds  to  receive  his 
annuities,  and  after  being  kept  in  waiting  until  star- 
vation invaded  his  lodges,  was  turned  back  to  the 
plains  empty-handed  and  gaunt.  Stung  with  bitter 
disappointment  he  nursed  his  wrath  sullenly.  He 
believed  his  people  the  victims  of  premeditated 
fraud,  and  judged  the  whites  as  a  race  by  those  with 
whom  he  had  come  in  contact  about  the  agencies. 
Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  Sioux  massacre  might 
have  been  avoided  but  for  a  senseless  controversy 
over  the  trivial  matter  of  a  few  eggs.  It  was  not 
likely  that  up  to  this  time  the  killing  of  a  settler 
had  been  resolved  upon.  There  were  vicious  Indi- 
ans who  delighted  at  all  times  in  doing  lawless 
things.  They  were  always  a  source  of  trouble 
among  their  own  people,  even  on  ordinary  occa- 
sions, just  as  there  are  "  black  sheep  "  in  nearly  ev- 
ery white  community,  who  are  pestilential. 


30  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

A  nest  of  eggs  and  the  bad  disposition  of  one  of 
these  Indians  proved  to  be  the  touch-and-go  that 
fired  the  whole  Minnesota  frontier,  resulting"  in  a 
thousand  murders  and  horrors  indescribable. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  while  hunting  along  the  Crow 
River,  near  Forest  City,  Meeker  county,  Chief  Mak- 
pe-ya-we-tah,  of  one  of  the  Lower  Agency  bands, 
purchased  a  sleigh  of  George  Whitcomb  with  which 
to  return  to  Redwood,  having  been  caught  in  wint- 
erish  weather.  The  chief  was  unable  to  pay  for  the 
sled,  but  left  his  wagon  to  secure  the  debt.  On  the 
10th  of  August,  1862,  with  a  party  of  twenty  Indi- 
ans, the  chief  started  to  Forest  City,  intending  to 
redeem  his  wagon  and  spend  a  season  in  deer-hunt- 
ing. Nearing  their  destination,  the  chief  and  four 
members  of  his  band  separated  from  the  main  body 
and  proceeded  on  to  Whitcomb's,  several  miles 
northeastward,  the  fifteen  stopping,  intending  to  en- 
gage in  hunting.  Among  the  latter  were  some  of 
the  most  notorious  malcontents  of  the  Lower  Agen- 
cy. Some  six  miles  from  Acton  a  member  of  this 
latter  party  found  a  hen's  nest,  and  proposed  to  eat 
the  eggs.  It  was  urged  by  a  law-abiding  Indian  that 
he  had  no  right  to  do  this ;  that  the  eggs  were  those 
of  a  white  farmer,  and  should  not  be  taken  or  de- 
stroyed, as  such  an  act  might  get  them  all  into  trou- 
ble. The  law-abiding  Indian  was  accused  of  cow- 
ardice, and  with  the  accusation  the  finder  of  the 
nest  destroyed  the  eggs.  The  Indian  of  conscien- 
tious scruples  denounced  this  act  as  contemptible, 
and  as  showing  neither  courage  nor  good  sense. 
His  courage  questioned,  the  malcontent  drew  up 
his  rifle  and  shot  an  ox,  boasting  of  this  as  an  act  of 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  31 

defiance  confirming  his  courage,  but  the  law-abiding 
Indian  remonstrated  in  stronger  terms  than  ever, 
and  denounced  the  breaking  of  eggs  and  the  shoot- 
ing of  oxen  as  very  cowardly.  By  this  time  the 
whole  party  was  rent  with  dissension.  Four  of 
the  Indians  stood  up  for  the  whites  and  good  order, 
while  the  other  eleven  became  more  contemptuous 
as  the  quarrel  progressed.  Each  party  accused  the 
other  of  cowardice,  the  eleven  claiming  the  four 
feared  the  whites,  while  the  four  ridiculed  the  elev- 
en for  their  acts.  Violence  among  themselves 
seemed  imminent,  when  they  finally  separated,  the 
eleven  saying  they  would  show  that  they  were 
brave,  for  they  proposed  to  kill  a  white  man. 

Singularly,  after  the  quarrel  and  separation,  the 
four  who  stood  for  law  and  order  were  the  first  to 
kill  a  white  man  and  bring  on  the  crisis.  Not  long 
after  the  parting  they  heard  the  ring  of  the  rifles  of 
the  eleven  some  distance  away  in  the  settlements. 
They  felt  sure  this  meant  that  the  whites  were  be- 
ing killed,  and  that  now  their  valor  would  be  forever 
questioned  unless  they  joined  in  the  horrible  work. 
Two  of  the  four  still  protested  against  violence,  and 
even  yet  all  might  have  turned  favorably  except  for 
an  unwise  and  ill-timed  quarrel  precipitated  by  a 
white  man,  who  was  noted  for  bad  temper  and  not 
the  best  for  good  faith  in  his  dealings  with  the  In- 
dians. 

This  man  was  Robinson  Jones,  at  whose  house 
the  four  Indians  called  near  the  middle  of  the  day 
of  Sunday,  August  17th.  The  Indians  here  asked 
for  liquor,  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  do,  but  were 
refused.  Jones  was  a  man  of  powerful  physique, 


32  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

and  was  courageous  and  aggressive.  He  thought 
he  recognized  in  the  quartet  an  Indian  who  had  bor- 
rowed a  gun  from  him  some  months  previously,  that 
had  not  been  returned,  and  took  the  suspected  de- 
linquent hotly  to  task.  The  Indian  positively  de- 
nied the  accusation.  A  quarrel  ensued  and  Jones, 
in  his  violent  way,  drove  the  Indians  from  the  house. 
They  went  to  the  home  of  Howard  Baker,  eighty 
rods  away. 

At  Baker's  house  were  a  Mr.  Webster  and  wife, 
who  had  just  arrived  that  day  in  their  immigrant 
wagon  from  Michigan,  seeking  a  home  on  the  Min- 
nesota frontier.  At  Baker's  the  Indians  asked  for 
water  and  tobacco,  and  were  accommodated.  They 
drank,  and  filling  a  pipe  sat  down  and  smoked. 
They  were  friendly  and  good-humored.  Unfortu- 
nately however,  Jones  and  his  wife  came  to  the  Ba- 
ker home,  Baker  being  a  son  of  Mrs.  Jones  by  a 
former  husband.  Here  Jones  renewed  his  quarrel 
with  the  Indian  about  the  gun.  The  Indians  finally 
grew  very  angry,  and  Mrs.  Baker,  in  her  alarm, 
asked  Mrs.  Jones  if  they  had  given  the  Indians 
liquor.  She  replied  that  they  had  not,  and  that 
44  they  had  no  liquor  for  such  black  devils  as  these." 
This  added  fuel  to  the  flame,  for  the  Indians  appar- 
ently understood  the  language,  and  the  spirit  in 
which  it  was  uttered.  Here,  without  question,  was 
the  shedding  of  blood  first  fully  decided  upon.  The 
Indians  bantered  the  white  men  to  shoot  at  a  mark 
with  them,  Jones  replying  with  an  oath  that  he  was 
not  afraid  to  shoot  44with  any  damned  redskin." 
Having  emptied  their  guns,  the  Indians  reloaded, 
but  the  whites,  not  believing  the  Indians  dared  to 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  33 

commit  an  act  of  violence,  or  premeditated  it,  did 
not  reload  their  pieces.  This  was  the  opportunity 
for  which  the  Indians  had  made  their  play,  and  they 
fired,  Jones,  his  wife,  Baker  and  Webster  each  re- 
ceiving: a  shot,  the  last  three  being:  killed  or  mor- 
tally wounded.  Jones  attempted  to  escape  to  the 
cover  of  timber,  but  was  felled  by  another  shot.  He 
clung:  to  life  tenaciously,  and  died  in  g:reat  ag:ony, 
having:,  in  his  final  struggle,  filled  his  mouth  with 
handsful  of  earth,  and  dug:  holes  in  the  compact 
ground  with  his  boot-heels.  The  Indians  could  not 
have  inflicted,  had  they  tried,  greater  suffering:  upon 
the  man  they  intensely  disliked,  than  he  endured 
until  mercifully  relieved  by  death.  Mrs.  Webster 
was  in  their  covered  wag:on  getting:  some  thing:s  to 
pass  out  to  her  husband  when  the  Indians  opened 
fire,  and  was  not  soug:ht  out  or  disturbed.  Mrs. 
Baker,  shocked  and  unnerved  at  what  had  occurred, 
stumbled  and  fell  down  cellar  with  a  child  in  her 
arms,  both  escaping:  uninjured  in  the  fall ;  nor  were 
they  molested  by  the  Indians,  who  immediately  re- 
paired to  the  house  of  Jones,  upon  which  they  seem- 
ed to  center  their  vengeance,  where  they  killed  a 
Miss  Clara  D.  Wilson,  a  young:  lady  whose  home 
was  in  the  Jones  family. 

Having:  inaugurated  the  horrible  Sioux  massacre, 
in  the  town  of  Acton,  Meeker  county,  the  four  Indi- 
ans hastened  to  a  neighbor  of  the  Jones  family,  a 
Mr.  Eckland,  where  they  took  two  horses  and  fled, 
mounted  double,  for  the  vicinity  of  the  Redwood 
Ag:ency.  They  reached  their  own  camp,  four 
miles  above  Redwood,  near  daylight  on  Monday 
morning:,  August  18th.  Rousing:  their  tribesmen 


34  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

and  relating  what  had  happened,  all  was  consterna- 
tion. A  council  was  called,  and  it  was  immediately 
foreseen  that  the  four  Indians  must  be  turned  over 
to  the  white  authorities,  or  the  whole  band  of  Rice 
Creek  Indians,  to  which  the  four  belonged,  be  held 
as  accomplices  in  the  crimes  committed.  There 
was  but  little  time  in  which  to  choose  a  course. 
Many  of  the  band  were  opposed  to  making  war  on 
the  whites.  Only  the  previous  evening  in  fact  it 
had  been  decided  at  a  meeting  to  start  on  Monday 
morning  (this  fatal  Monday  morning)  for  Fort 
Ridgely  to  make  a  demand  for  their  annuities,  and 
if  unsuccessful,  then  to  proceed  on  to  St.  Paul.  In 
view  of  this  previous  plan  and  of  the  aversion  of 
friends  and  relatives  to  surrender  the  four  to  be 
dealt  with  for  the  murder  of  the  whites  at  Acton,  it 
was  decided  to  hasten  down  to  the  Lower  Agency, 
lay  the  matter  of  a  decision  before  Little  Crow  and 
other  Agency  Indians. 

To  portray  the  wild  excitement  and  frenzied  con- 
dition of  the  Indian  village  in  the  early  dawn  of  that 
August  morning  is  not  a  pen-possibility.  Only  on 
the  previous  night,  be  it  remembered,  the  wrongs 
of  the  agents  and  traders  had  been  rehearsed,  and 
the  disappointments  and  the  sufferings  of  the  Indi- 
ans dwelt  upon.  Longer  patience  had  ceased  to  be 
a  virtue.  Disappointment  had  been  piled  upon  dis- 
appointment until  the  limit  of  endurance  had  been 
reached,  and  a  final  trip,  first  to  the  Fort,  and  then 
to  St.  Paul  if  necessary,  for  redress,  had  been 
planned  for  this  very  morning.  In  this  acute  con- 
dition of  mind  the  news  of  the  outbreak  at  Acton 
produced  consternation,  and  discussion  only  in- 


OF  THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  35 

flamed  the  excited  minds  of  the  warriors.  While  it 
was  decided  ostensibly  to  hasten  to  Redwood  for 
consultation  and  advice,  the  war  flame  was  fanned 
at  every  turn.  There  were  constant  accessions  to 
the  party  as  it  wildly  and  excitedly  rode  to  the 
Agency,  and  each  accession  was  fuel  to  the  flame. 
Every  tepee  and  wicky-up  along:  the  way  contribu- 
ted to  the  hellish  legion  that  poured  out  naked,  with 
hair  streaming  to  join  the  wild  cavalcade  and  catch 
and  echo  the  war-cry.  The  hills  of  the  Minnesota 
rang  with  yells  as  through  the  blinding  dust  rushed 
the  ever-growing  stream  of  frenzied  warriors.  Ex- 
planations by  the  way  were  unnecessary.  The  war- 
cry  was  sufficient,  and  it  is  not  probable  human 
eyes  ever  witnessed  a  wilder  scene  than  was  this 
flight  of  demons  along  the  trail  that  resounded  with 
the  throbbing  footfalls  of  beasts  inspired  to  their 
utmost  endeavors  by  their  frenzied  riders,  who  fast 
and  faster  came  as  the  murderous  resolution  of  their 
hearts  spurred  them  madly  on  and  blinded  them  to 
all  thought  of  right  or  reason.  The  earth  trembled 
as  the  thundering  cavalcade  pressed  on  in  its  wild 
flight,  the  hideous  war-cry  echoing  savagely  along 
the  broad  valley  of  the  Minnesota,  rousing  Sioux 
braves  from  their  slumbers  and  thrilling  their  hearts 
with  emotions  transforming  them  at  once  into  mad- 
dened demons.  It  was  small  wonder  Little  Crow 
was  swept  from  his  poise  by  this  frenzied  horde 
and  hurried  into  the  bloody  torrent  that  bore  him  to 
his  ruin.  But  the  blood  of  Acton  had  fired  the 
hearts  of  this  crazed  legion,  that  fell  upon  the  Red- 
wood Agency  like  a  pitiless  storm,  awakening  the 
whole  frontier  in  one  horrifying  shriek  from  its  con- 


36  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

fiding  stupor. 

Little  Crow  lived  in  a  brick  house  about  two  miles 
above  the  Agency.  He  was  still  in  bed  when  the 
head  of  the  column  of  warriors  reached  his  place, 
and  was  shocked  to  hear  the  familiar  war-whoop 
that  roused  him  from  his  slumbers.  He  sat  up  with 
his  blanket  about  him  and  heard  the  startling  story 
of  the  spokesman  of  the  party.  Soon  his  house  was 
packed  to  the  limit  of  its  capacity,  with  scores  un- 
able to  gain  admission,  and  the  excitement  was  in- 
tense. The  wild  ride  had  dispelled  every  thought  of 
a  peaceful  solution  of  troubles  real  and  fancied.  Ev- 
ery voice  was  for  war,  and  the  demand  that  the  fa- 
mous chieftain  should  lead  the  savage  hosts  was 
unanimous  and  emphatic.  Beads  of  perspiration 
gathered  upon  the  forehead  of  Little  Crow,  who  no 
doubt  dreaded  the  ordeal,  wisely  understanding  the 
great  hazard  that  attended  a  war  upon  the  whites. 
But  he  had  lost  popularity  with  his  people  of  late 
years,  and  now  was  offered  an  opportunity  to  rein- 
state himself.  There  was,  too,  a  dream  of  long- 
cherished  and  far-reaching  results.  He  yielded  to 
the  demands  of  the  frenzied  and  impatient  horde, 
and  without  breakfast  joined  in  the  plans  for  the 
massacre  of  the  traders  and  others  at  the  Agency, 
upon  which  the  warriors  had  already  fully  determ- 
ined, and  hastened  away  at  the  head  of  the  wild 
horde  like  a  flying  demon. 


Si 


EillflsIIIllifllS 

lllilillfiimiiz 


2S8SSS 


38 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


TWO  VIEWS  OF  FORT  RIDGELY,  IN  1862. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  39 


First  News  of  the  Outbreak  at  Redwood. 

A  garrison  was  never  more  tranquil  than  was  that 
of  Fort  Ridgely  on  the  morning  of  August  18th. 
Midsummer  quietude  was  all-pervading.  Lieuten- 
ant Sheehan  and  his  fifty  men  had  just  departed 
homeward  after  a  month  and  a  half  of  service  and 
companionship  with  Company  B.  The  Renville 
Rangers,  a  party  of  some  fifty  ment  who  had  spent 
a  day  or  so  at  the  Fort,  had  just  gone  on  their  jour- 
ney to  Fort  Snelling,  where  they  were  to  be  mus- 
tered into  these  rvice  for  active  duiy  in  the  south. 
Accompanying  them  were  a  number  of  members  of 
Company  B. 

The  Indian  payment  incident  at  the  Yellow  Med- 
icine Agency,  which  had  furnished  the  only  diver- 
sion of  the  season,  was  apparently  closed,  and  with 
the  absence  of  so  many  who  had  helped  to  infuse 
animation  into  the  routine  duties  of  frontier  garri- 
son life,  a  Sabbath-like  stillness  had  settled  down 
upon  the  post.  There  was  nothing  to  suggest  activ- 
ity. There  was  nothing  upon  which  to  found  the 
hope  that  there  was  anything  in  store  for  Company 
B  but  hum-drum  garrison  duty.  The  youthful  offi- 
cers and  men  who  in  the  main  made  up  the  com- 
pany, were  impatient  for  an  order  to  go  south,  and 
could  they  have  ordered  their  destiny  in  this  mat- 
ter by  ballot,  there  would  have  been  a  unanimous 
vote,  with  cheers  and  a  throwing  of  caps  in  the  air, 
to  move  within  an  hour. 

But  this  could  not  be,  and  with  patience  and  for- 


40  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

titude  the  soldiers,  whose  companions  had  just  left 
them,  and  whose  only  diversion  of  the  summer  had 
terminated  with  the  Yellow  Medicine  event,  relaxed 
into  enforced  quietude,  without  the  remotest  sus- 
picion that  before  night  more  than  one-fourth  of 
their  number  would  be  called  upon  to  meet  death 
in  one  of  the  fiercest  and  most  merciless  combats 
recorded. 

At  about  10  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  August  18, 
1862,  came,  like  the  lightning's  flash  from  a  clear 
sky,  the  startling  news  of  the  horrible  massacre  be- 
gun three  hours  previously  at  the  Redwood  Agen- 
cy. Down  from  the  northwest,  nearing  the  Fort, 
was  seen  the  approach  of  people  in  great  haste.  The 
attention  of  the  garrison  was  generally  attracted  to 
the  unusual  spectacle,  but  without  once  suspecting 
the  cause  of  it.  J.  C.  Dickinson  was  in  the  advance 
and  was  the  first  to  enter  the  Fort.  He  had  scarce- 
ly told  in  a  few  words  of  the  uprising  when  a  team 
immediately  following  him  entered  under  the  lash, 
with  a  load  of  refugees,  among  them  a  wounded 
man,  who  had  made  his  escape  after  being  shot  at 
the  Agency.  That  savage  wrath  had  burst  like  a 
flame  was  at  first  inconceivable,  but  the  testimony 
that  the  seal  ping-knife  had  flashed  from  its  sheath 
to  follow  the  deadly  work  of  the  gun  was  all  too  ev- 
ident to  be  questioned.  The  soldiers  gathered 
around  the  refugees  whose  tales  were  told  in  shock- 
ing, dramatic  detail.  Captain  Marsh  did  not  delib- 
erate, but  ordered  the  assembling  of  the  company 
at  once.  Charles  M.  Culver,  the  drummer  boy,  for 
the  first  time  sounded  with  meaning  emphasis  the 
long-roll.  Thrilled  with  the  story  of  the  massacre 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE. 


41 


and  the  clamor  of  the  drum,  men  were  quickly  in 
line  to  receive  orders.  With  a  haste  that  seemed 
imperative  a  detail  of  forty-six  men  was  made  at 
once  to  proceed  to  the  scene  of  carnage,  under  the 
belief  that  the  situation  was  yet  controllable,  and  in 
any  event  demanded  the  presence  of  soldiery  at  the 
Agency.  It  was  simply  a  matter  of  moments  be- 
tween the  receipt  of  the  news  of  the  outbreak  and 
the  departure  of  Captain  Marsh  and  his  detail  for 
the  scene  of  the  bloody  work  thirteen  miles  away. 

These  were  the  men  to  whose  lot  it  fell  to  gfo  on 
this  expedition : 


Captain- 
John  S.  Marsh 

Interpreter — 
Peter  Quinn 

Sergeants — 
R.  H.  Findley 
S.  A.  Trescott 
J.  F.  Bishop 

Corporals — 
J.  S.  Besse 
W.  E.  Winslow 
T.  D.  Huntley 
C.  H.  Hawley 

Privates — 
Charles  Beecher 
Charles  R.  Bell 
W.  H.  Blodgett 
John  Brennan 
Levi  Carr 
E.  F.  Cole 


Privates  (cont'd) — 
W.  B.  Hutchinson 
Chris  Joerger 
Durs  Kanzig 
James  H.  Kerr 
Wenzel  Kusda 
Henry  McAllister 
John  Me  Go  wan 
James  M.  Munday 
James  Murray 
Wenzel  Norton 
J.  W.  Parks 
M.  P.  Parks 
John  Parsley 
Thomas  Parsley 
H.  A.  Phillips 
N.  Pitcher 
A.  Rebenski 
Ezekiel  Rose 
J.  Serfling 


42  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Marsh  and  his  men  (cont'd) 
James  Dunn  H.  A.  Shepherd 

J.  W.  Foster  C.  W.  Smith 

C.  E.  French  N.  Steward 

A.  Gardner  S.  Steward 

J.  Gardner  W.  A.  Sutherland 

J.  A.  Gehring  O.  Svendson 

John  Holmes  S.  VanBuren 

At  the  command,  "  Forward,"  the  men  moved  out 
with  elastic  step,  the  very  embodiment  of  splendid 
soldiery.  Teams  were  hastily  hitched  up,  and  car- 
rying light  supplies  of  ammunition  and  provision, 
followed  and  soon  overtook  the  command.  Captain 
Marsh  and  Interpreter  Quinn  were  on  mule-back, 
and  the  men  now  climbed  into  the  wagons  that  more 
haste  might  be  made  in  reaching  the  Agency. 

Fort  Ridgely  was  now  practically  deserted,  Lieu- 
tenant T.  P.  Gere  remaining  in  command  of  the  post 
with  fewer  than  thirty  men.  The  situation  had  sud- 
denly become  one  of  the  keenest  anxiety,  and  this 
was  increased  by  the  constant  accessions  of  refu- 
gees, whose  tales  of  horrible  deeds  gave  evidence 
of  the  rapid  spread  of  the  frightful  work  of  carnage 
started  at  the  Agency  in  the  morning,  but  now 
sweeping  over  the  adjacent  settlements.  Fugitives 
who  came  in  over  the  Agency  road,  and  who  had 
met  Captain  Marsh  and  his  men,  pronounced  the 
expedition  to  the  ferry  one  destined  to  end  in  the 
greatest  disaster.  This  was  neither  reassuring  nor 
comforting  to  the  remnant  of  the  company  left  in 
command  of  the  Fort,  and  was  rendered  less  so  be- 
cause the  convictions  expressed  were  those  of  men 
of  keen  discernment,  who  were  well  informed  on 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  43 

the  deplorable  situation.  In  fact  these  fugitives, 
when  meeting  Captain  Marsh,  cautioned  him  of  his 
danger,  and  advised  him,  if  he  would  not  turn  back, 
at  least  not  to  enter  the  valley  of  the  Minnesota 
River,  which  he  must  do  three  miles  from  the 
Agency  if  he  persisted  in  reaching  the  ferry. 

Before  Captain  Marsh  had  covered  half  the  dis- 
tance to  the  Agency  his  command  had  witnessed 
buildings  aflame  and  corpses  by  the  wayside  to 
warn  him  of  the  danger  that  threatened  him,  and 
the  whole  frontier  as  well.  There  was  no  time  to 
deliberate.  To  march  into  the  jaws  of  death,  as 
seemed  imminent,  might  make  the  fall  of  Fort 
Ridgely  a  certainty,  and  thus  expose  the  frontier 
settlements  to  annihilation.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
a  brave  and  almost  superhuman  effort  could  yet 
stay  the  savage  hand  dripping  with  blood,  incalcu- 
lable loss  of  life  could  be  prevented.  Captain 
Marsh  knew  his  men.  He  had  no  doubt  of  their 
splendid  courage.  The  fleeing  refugees  warned 
them  that  to  enter  the  valley  was  almost  certain 
death,  but  all  this  was  met  with  a  stoical  determin- 
ation to  do  faithfully  and  bravely  the  duty  pointed 
out  to  them  by  their  commander,  who  believed  the 
great  good  possible  to  be  accomplished  was  worth 
the  hazard  the  undertaking  involved. 

While  this  march  was  being  made  on  that  quiet 
summer  day,  hearts  were  beating  anxiously  at  the 
Fort.  As  the  men  passed  out  to  the  northwestward 
in  the  forenoon,  they  were  watched  for  a  mile  or  so, 
and  disappeared,  with  a  bon  voyage,  below  the  inter- 
vening prairie-ridge,  entering,  as  it  proved,  on  the 
threshold  of  eternity.  Refugees  came  in  in  increas- 


44  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


numbers,  and  pointed  to  the  distant  columns  of 
smoke  as  those  of  burning  homes.  Some  of  these 
people  were  wounded,  and  all  were  fatigued  and 
terror-stricken.  There  were  increasing  evidences 
of  the  approach  of  the  savage  horde  throughout  the 
western  and  northwestern  settlements. 

There  were  none  so  dull  as  not  to  realize  that 
the  situation  was  profoundly  critical.  Marsh  and 
his  little  detail  were  well  within  the  environment  of 
the  savages.  That  they  would  stay  the  bloody  hand, 
or  even  extricate  themselves  from  their  perilous 
predicament,  became  hourly  more  doubtful.  There 
was  no  reserve  force  to  go  to  their  assistance.  The 
Fort  itself  and  all  in  it  must  fall  if  vigorously  at- 
tacked. This  was  self-evident.  Its  hope  was  not 
in  its  ability  to  resist  an  onslought,  but  in  the  great 
good  fortune  that  should  delay  an  attack  until  bet- 
ter preparation  should  obtain. 

When  within  six  or  seven  miles  of  the  Agency 
Captain  Marsh,  seeing  evidences  of  danger  on  ev- 
ery hand,  ordered  his  men  to  abandon  the  wagons 
and  resume  their  former  order  of  march.  The  pace 
of  the  men  was  quickened,  and  believing  the  Lower 
Agency  the  center  of  disturbance,  and  that  once 
there  cool  and  wise  heads  could  be  conferred  with 
and  a  stop  put  to  the  hellish  work,  the  command 
hurried  with  a  zeal  worthy  of  a  better  fate  than 
awaited  the  brave  detachment.  Reaching  the  top  of 
Faribault  hill,  three  miles  from  the  Agency,  a  view 
of  the  Minnesota  valley  presented  itself.  Sicken- 
ing scenes  had  been  witnessed  by  the  wayside,  and 
there  was  little  else  than  desolation  to  be  seen  from 
this  hill-top.  Only  men  of  the  rarest  courage  and 


OF  THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  45 

of  the  most  perfect  discipline  would  have  entered 
that  valley  of  death  in  the  face  of  all  that  was 
known. 

At  the  Fort  the  horrible  condition  at  the  Agency 
had  now  been  fully  detailed,  striking  terror  to  ev- 
ery heart  and  sealing  the  doom  of  Marsh  and  his 
men.  Among  the  refugees  who  arrived  in  the  af- 
ternoon from  the  Agency  was  Rev.  J.  D.  Hinman, 
an  Episcopal  missionary,  stationed  at  Redwood. 
Having  arisen  early  to  start  on  a  journey  to  Fari- 
bault,  he  was  out  in  the  tranquil  morning  that  gave 
no  suspicion  that  the  curtain  was  about  to  rise  on 
one  of  the  most  appalling  massacres,  at  his  own 
door,  ever  known  to  American  history.  He  was 
ready  for  his  departure  between  six  and  seven 
o'clock,  when  unusual  signs  for  the  hour  among  the 
Indians  attracted  his  attention.  The  Indians  were 
almost  naked,  and  carried  their  guns.  Their  num- 
bers increased,  and  people  began  to  wonder  at  their 
unusual  appearance,  which  some  interpreted  to 
mean  that  a  raid  was  to  be  made  on  some  Chippe- 
wa  band  known  to  have  invaded  the  neighborhood. 
The  Indians  squatted  nonchalantly  on  the  steps  of 
the  various  buildings,  their  demeanor  betraying  no 
sign  of  hostility. 

Now  a  signal  gun  broke  the  silence  in  the  upper 
part  of  town.  Even  this  was  doubted  to  be  a  sign 
of  hostility  until  other  shooting  up  the  street  and 
the  hasty  fleeing  of  people  towards  the  bluff  over- 
looking the  river  began  to  be  alarming.  White  Dog 
ran  past  Mr.  Hinman  at  this  juncture,  and  to  an  in- 
quiring word  replied  that  "  awful  work  had  been 
started."  He  was  no  doubt  himself  taken  by  sur- 


46  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

prise,  though  later  in  the  day  his  cunning  and  his 
treachery  played  an  important  part  in  the  betrayal 
of  Marsh.  Little  Crow  also  passed  Mr.  Hinman 
about  this  time,  but  with  a  scowl  declined  to  an- 
swer an  inquiry  of  the  missionary,  though  they 
knew  each  other  well,  and  the  chief,  now  sullen,  had 
always  been  polite  and  friendly.  The  firing  had 
now  become  a  fusilade,  and  people  were  being  shot 
down  on  every  hand.  The  traders  were  the  first  ob- 
jects of  hatred  to  fall,  riddled  with  bullets.  As  the 
bloody  work  progressed  the  savages  grew  wild  and 
furious,  their  hideous  yells,  the  crash  of  their  guns, 
work  of  the  torch,  the  shrieks  of  their  helpless  vic- 
tims, begging  vainly  for  mercy,  creating  a  scene 
horrifying  in  the  extreme.  Rev.  Hinman  fled  be- 
fore the  spreading  tide  of  death  had  reached  him, 
and  gaining  the  river,  fortunately  found  a  skiff  with 
which  he  hastily  crossed,  making  good  his  escape 
to  the  Fort. 

With  this  additional  information  from  so  high  an 
authority,  what  could  the  fate  of  Captain  Marsh  and 
his  detail  be?  Every  heart-throb  echoed  this  in- 
quiry ;  every  glance  betrayed  the  awful  misgivings 
that  tongues  hesitated  to  utter. 

Night  began  to  gather  its  unwelcome  folds  around 
the  distraught  garrison.  Refugees,  principly  wo- 
men and  children,  had  swarmed  in  with  sickening 
tales,  to  increase  the  burdens  now  illy  proportioned 
to  the  garrison's  defenders.  Lieutenant  Gere,  who 
now  commanded  the  Fort,  though  but  twenty  years 
of  age,  had  combined  within  him  soldierly  ability, 
courage  of  the  highest  order,  and  discretion  beyond 
his  years.  His  bearing  was  an  inspiration,  and  he 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  47 

possessed  the  perfect  confidence  of  what  remained 
of  Company  B  under  his  command.  The  gloom 
of  night  had  added  its  dangers  to  the  situation, 
with  no  tidings  from  the  brave  men  who  were 
last  reported  as  they  were  descending  into  the  val- 
ley near  the  Agency.  The  men  under  Lieutenant 
Gere  maintained  a  courage  and  loyalty  equal  to  any 
sacrifice.  Whatever  fate  willed,  they  would  reso- 
lutely meet.  Dispositions  were  made  for  the  night 
to  guard  as  far  as  possible  against  a  night  surprise, 
and  with  the  few  men  widely  dispersed,  the  garri- 
son settled  down  to  a  death-like  stillness,  when 
the  first  tidings  came  of  the  fate  of  Marsh  and  his 
men.  Privates  James  Dunn  and  William  B.  Hutch- 
inson  were  the  first  to  arrive  with  the  story  of  the 
frightful  disaster  at  the  ferry,  they  having  been 
dispatched  by  Sergeant  John  F.  Bishop,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  only  known  remnant  of 
Company  B  to  escape  the  merciless  slaughter  at  the 
ferry.  The  little  party  were  carrying  a  badly 
wounded  comrade,  while  Bishop  himself  was  wound- 
ed. Their  progress  being  thus  impeded,  Bishop 
dispatched  Dunn  and  Hutchinson  to  apprise  the 
garrison  of  the  disaster,  himself  and  party  reaching 
the  Fort  at  ten  o'clock  at  night. 

Now  the  thrilling  story  was  told  in  detail.  Marsh's 
slender  detachment  descended  into  the  Minnesota 
valley  at  Faribault  hill  at  about  midday,  and 
marched  across  a  bottom  for  three  miles  over  a 
road  not  unfavorable  to  a  treacherous  foe,  grass  of 
a  rank  growth  affording  shelter  on  either  hand. 
When  within  a  mile  or  so  of  the  ferry  the  Captain 
halted  his  men  for  a  moment's  needed  rest.  Resum- 


48  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

ing  his  march  the  men  were  moved  in  open  order 
by  single  file  to  minimize  the  danger  from  exposure, 
and  in  this  order  continued  to  the  ferry-house,  situ- 
ated on  the  east  side  of  the  road,  ten  or  twelve  rods 
north  of  the  ferry.  Just  two  weeks  previously  to  a 
day  most  of  these  men  were  actors  in  the  dramatic 
incident  at  Yellow  Medicine,  when,  on  the  4th  of 
August,  they  were  surrounded  by  nearly  a  thousand 
armed  warriors,  when  the  Government  warehouse 
was  attacked.  Coolness  and  courage  won  the  day 
for  these  same  soldiers  on  that  occasion.  May  they 
not  now  overmatch  the  red-handed  savage  and  yet 
bring  order  out  of  chaos  ?  There  must  have  been 
this  lingering  hope,  though  conditions  were  so 
changed  as  to  make  the  hope  chimerical. 

Along  the  river  at  the  ferry  were  clumps  of  wil- 
lows and  other  brush,  together  with  a  rank  growth 
of  weeds  and  grass,  with  here  and  there  a  sandbar 
deposited  by  the  river  in  flood-time.  Knowing  the 
stealthy  nature  of  the  Sioux,  and  that  war.  had  been 
inaugurated,  the  surroundings  were  such  as  any 
American  soldier,  willing  to  meet  his  foe  in  the 
open,  would  feel  ill-at-ease  in. 

On  the  high  bluff  just  across  the  river  was  the 
Redwood  Agency,  the  objective  point  of  Captain 
Marsh,  and  where  he  had  hoped  to  meet  prominent 
Sioux  chiefs,  and  through  their  co-operation  restore 
order.  He  apparently  could  not  realize  that  the 
Agency  had  been  blotted  out,  and  that  every  soul 
who  had  made  up  its  white  citizenship  lay  prostrate 
where  he  fell,  shot  to  death  and  mutilated  beyond 
recognition.  The  slope  leading  from  the  river  to 
the  brow  of  the  Agency  hill  was  studded  with  a 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  49 

thick  growth  of  brushy  timber.  The  disemboweled 
and  acephalous  body  of  the  ferryman  had  already 
been  found,  with  the  ferryboat  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  ready  for  the  soldiers  to  enter  upon,  as 
the  Indians  had  no  doubt  carefully  planned,  divin- 
ing that  Marsh  would  seek  to  cross  to  the  Agency 
side.  Indians  there  were  in  plenty,  but  they  kept 
themselves  well  concealed.  A  few  warriors  on 
horseback  revealed  themselves  indifferently  on  the 
prairie  south  of  the  Agency,  and  at  considerable 
distance  from  the  ferry,  their  evident  purpose  being 
to  attract  attention  from  the  forces  masked  in  the 
region  of  the  ferry.  Near  the  ferry  landing  on  the 
opposite  or  Agency  side  of  the  river,  was  a  lone  In- 
dian, chosen  for  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  tragedy 
to  be  enacted  when  the  plans  of  the  cunning  Indi- 
ans were  matured.  This  was  recognized  to  be  no 
less  a  personage  than  White  Dog,  who  himself  was 
clearly  taken  by  surprise  by  the  outbreak  as  his  de- 
meanor to  Rev.  Hinman  revealed  in  the  early  morn- 
ing. White  Dog  was  a  prominent  Indian  at  the 
Agency,  having  been  president  of  the  Indian  Farm- 
ers' Organization,  and  his  selection  as  a  man  likely 
to  inspire  confidence  in  Captain  Marsh  was  neither 
spontaneous  nor  accidental.  Through  Interpreter 
Quinn  Captain  Marsh  addressed  White  Dog,  who, 
in  reply,  suavely  invited  Marsh  to  cross,  assuring 
him  that  the  Indians  did  not  wish  to  fight  the  sol- 
diers, and  that  if  Marsh  would  cross  to  the  Agency 
a  council  would  be  called  to  meet  and  confer  with 
him.  Two  soldiers  who  went  to  the  river's  brink  to 
obtain  water  as  this  conversation  was  being  carried 
on,  discovered  in  concealment  on  the  opposite  side, 


50  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

near  White  Dog,  many  Indians.  However,  Captain 
Marsh  ordered  his  men  forward  from  the  ferry- 
house  to  the  ferry-landingr,  purposing  to  cross,  his 
men  halting  at  a  front  along  the  river.  Sergeant 
Bishop  having  stepped  to  the  water's  edge  for  a 
drink  as  the  ferry  ropes  were  being  adjusted,  saw 
evidences  in  the  roily  condition  of  the  water  that 
the  Indians  were  crossing  up-stream  with  a  view  to 
a  rear  attack.  This  conviction  expressed  to  Captain 
Marsh,  was  intuitively  grasped  by  White  Dog,  who 
knew  the  moment  was  critical,  and  now  doubted 
that  Marsh  would  enter  upon  the  ferry.  He  there- 
fore fired  the  signal  gun,  as  was  his  part  in  the  trag- 
edy, to  which  Quinn,  the  white-haired  interpreter, 
sensing  its  meaning  instantly,  in  his  last  breath, 
cried,  "  Look  out !"  A  deadly  volley  came  from  the 
ambuscade  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  killing 
many  a  brave  soldier  who  had  had  no  opportunity 
to  defend  himself.  Quinn  was  among  those  to  fall 
at  the  first  volley,  riddled  with  no  less  than  a  dozen 
bullets.  The  volley  was  high  and  mainly  passed 
over  the  heads  of  the  soldiers.  Marsh  and  Quinn 
stood  nearly  side  by  side  when  the  volley  was  fired, 
but  the  Captain  was  unscathed,  and  instantly  order- 
ed his  men  to  fall  back  to  the  ferry  house.  Now 
came  the  awful  realization  of  Bishop's  prediction, 
for  with  deafening  yells  there  rose  from  ambush  in 
the  rear,  and  within  short  range,  a  legion  of  naked, 
frantic  devils  who  poured  a  merciless  volley  into 
the  already  staggered  ranks  of  Marsh.  The  effect 
was  deadly.  Now  the  men  fought  for  their  lives, 
and  to  extricate  themselves  from  their  perilous  pre- 
dicament. The  losses  were  already  so  great  that 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  51 

to  attempt  a  stand  would  be  simply  to  blindly  chal- 
lenge fate.  [As  stated  by  Chaska  in  1863,  when  re- 
ferring to  this  bloody  incident,  White  Dog  gave  the 
death-signal  prematurely,  for  which  he  was  bitterly 
assailed  by  Little  Crow  and  other  prominent  lead- 
ers in  the  massacre.  The  signal  was  not  to  have 
been  given  until  the  savage  cordon  had  been  so  ex- 
tended as  to  prevent  the  escape  of  a  single  man  of 
Marsh's  command,  in  event  the  soldiers  could  not 
be  gotten  upon  the  ferry  and  there  annihilated.] 

The  Indians  had  secured  possession  of  the  ferry- 
house  by  this  time.  The  righting  now  was  of  the 
most  desperate  character,  being  hand  to  hand  or  at 
the  range  of  a  few  paces.  The  soldiers  made  dead- 
ly work  in  the  ranks  of  the  savages,  who  were  no 
match  for  the  trained  infantrymen  in  open  combat ; 
but  realizing  they  could  not  withstand  the  already 
overwhelming  and  constantly  increasing  numbers, 
Marsh  gave  the  order  to  gain  at  all  hazards  the 
thicket  along  the  river,  of  which  the  savages  had 
not  yet  secured  possession.  This  was  accom- 
plished under  a  furious  fire,  fifteen  out  of  the  origi- 
nal number,  after  fighting  like  demons,  reaching  the 
sheltering  copse.  To  reach  the  Fort  over  an  un- 
known country,  pathless,  and  beset  with  a  desper- 
ate enemy,  was  the  only  hope  of  the  brave  comman- 
der and  his  shattered  force.  The  thicket  was  raked 
with  the  guns  of  the  savages,  but  the  men  were  now 
fighting  from  cover  with  a  deliberateness  of  aim 
that  kept  the  enemy  well  at  bay.  Covering  their 
retreat  carefully,  the  men  fought  their  way  down 
through  the  brush  until  they  apparently  must  soon 
expose  themselves  to  Indians  seen  out  on  the  Fort 


52  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

road,  who  were  believed  to  be  moving"  eastward  to 
intercept  the  re  treat  ing1  detachment.  Captain  Marsh 
believed  safety  lay  alone  in  crossing  to  the  south 
bank  of  the  river,  and  led  in  an  effort  to  accomplish 
this  end.  This  was  at  about  4  o'clock  p.  m.  The 
Minnesota  River  at  this  point  was  fifty  yards  or 
more  in  width.  Lifting  his  sword  and  revolver 
above  his  head  the  Captain  waded  successfully  two- 
thirds  of  the  way  across.  Getting:  beyond  his  depth 
he  could  no  longer  retain  his  weapons  of  defense, 
and  dropping  them,  attempted  to  swim.  In  this  he 
was  unsuccessful,  and  called  to  his  men  for  assist- 
ance. Brennan,  Dunn  and  VanBuren,  all  men  of 
heroic  mould,  hastened  to  the  rescue  of  their  com- 
mander, but  he  was  doomed  by  the  treacherous  wa- 
ters, and  though  seized  by  Brennan's  strong  arm,  as 
he  was  sinking  the  second  time,  and  brought  to  the 
surface,  and  although  the  Captain  grasped  the 
shoulder  of  the  athletic  hero  daring  all  to  save  him, 
the  hold  of  the  officer  and  that  of  the  soldier  were 
broken  in  the  struggle,  and  Captain  Marsh  disap- 
peared beneath  the  merciless  waters  to  rise  no 
more. 

Now  the  command  devolved  upon  Sergeant  John 
F.  Bishop,  than  whom  there  was  no  better  or  braver 
soldier.  Beset  with  calamity,  dogged  with  disas- 
ter and  wounded  besides,  with  one  of  his  men,  pri- 
vate Svendson,  so  seriously  wounded  that  he  must 
be  carried  by  his  comrades,  Bishop  was  put  to  a 
test  summoning  all  his  tact,  courage  and  endurance. 
He  at  once  decided  to  keep  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  instead  of  crossing  it  as  Captain  Marsh  had 
designed,  and  this  decision  no  doubt  saved  the  lives 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  53 

of  Bishop  and  his  fourteen  men,  as  the  Indians,  be- 
lieving the  soldiers  to  have  crossed  the  stream, 
themselves  crossed  to  ambush  the  men  on  the  south 
side.  While  the  Indians  were  lying  in  concealment, 
awaiting  the  approach  of  the  would-be  victims,  the 
little  command,  under  cover  of  a  favoring  hill  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  river,  passed  successfully  to 
safer  and  better  protected  ground  down  stream. 
Stealthily,  cautiously,  vigilantly  the  wearied  and 
persecuted  men  pressed  onward,  not  unmindful  that 
their  enemy's  plan  of  warfare  always  embraced  the 
deadly  ambush. 

Night  was  fast  approaching.  Whether  its  protec- 
tion in  an  unknown  and  pathless  country  was  pref- 
erable to  daylight  and  exposure,  was  difficult  to  de- 
termine. With  nothing  to  eat  and  bearing  a  wound- 
ed soldier  in  need  of  surgical  treatment,  there  could 
be  no  thought  of  halting,  not  with  the  certainty  that 
Fort  Ridgely  could  be  but  a  few  miles  distant  at 
most.  But  did  the  Fort  exist  ?  Had  not  the  des- 
perate enemy,  flushed  with  success  and  drunk  with 
frenzy,  pressed  on  tb  overpower  and  annihilate 
the  well-nigh  defenseless  garrison  ?  Surely  it  was 
within  his  power  to  accomplish  this  result. 

When,  after  nightfall,  Sergeant  Bishop  sent  the 
sturdy  soldiers,  Dunn  and  Hutchinson,  forward, 
there  was  ample  reason  to  feel  the  Fort  might  have 
fallen,  though  no  cannonading  had  reverberated 
through  the  valley  to  indicate  an  attack;  still,  known 
conditions  were  such  that  a  fierce  and  sudden  at- 
tack on  the  garrison  might  be  successfully  made  in 
a  manner  to  preclude  the  use  of  artillery.  Ser- 
geant Bishop  felt,  as  he  was  justified  in  doing,  that 


54  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Dunn  and  Hutchinson  were  men  to  be  relied  upon 
to  successfully  learn  and  apprise  him  if  the  Fort 
had  fallen.  But  the  two  soldiers  found  the  garrison 
in  the  hands  of  Lieutenant  Gere,  and  made  a  suc- 
cessful entry,  as  did  Bishop  and  the  remainder  of 
his  men  an  hour  later,  twelve  hours  from  the  time 
of  their  departure  under  Captain  Marsh  in  the  fore- 
noon. 

The  garrison  was  well  prepared  in  mind  from 
what  had  filtered  to  it,  for  the  news  of  the  disaster  ; 
yet  it  was  stunned  to  speechlessness  when  the  list 
of  casualties  was  announced. 

THE  KILLED. 

Captain  John  S.  Marsh  (drowned) 

Interpreter  Peter  Quinn 

Sergeant  Russell  H.  Findley 
Solon  A.  Trescott 

Corporal  Joseph  S.  Besse 
Privates  Charles  R.  Bell  Edwin  F.  Cole 

Charles  E.  French      John  Gardner 
Jacob  A.  Gehring       John  Holmes 
Christian  Joerger       Durs  Kanzig 
James  H.  Kerr  Wenzel  Kusda 

Henry  McAllister      Wenzel  Norton 
John  Parsley  Moses  P.  Parks 

John  W.  Parks  Nathaniel  Pitcher 

Harrison  A.  Phillips  Charles  W.  Smith 
Henry.  A.  Shepherd    Nathan  Stewart 

THE  WOUNDED. 
Sergeant  John  F.Bishop 
Privates  William  H.  Blodgett  Ezekiel  Rose 
Win.  A.  Sutherland    Ole  Svendson 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  55 

Early  on  the  morning:  of  the  20th,  William  A. 
Sutherland  and  William  H.  Blodgett  arrived  at  the 
Fort,  after  experiences  and  endurance  almost  un- 
believable. These  men  were  shot  down  in  the  en- 
gagement at  the  ferry.  Their  escape,  their  suffer- 
ings and  their  heroic  struggle  for  life  can  scarcely 
be  matched  in  history.  Sutherland  was  shot  in  the 
breast,  the  ball  passing  through  the  right  lung,  and 
out  near  the  point  of  the  right  shoulder-blade,  at 
his  back. 

The  wound  rendered  him  unconscious  for  a  time, 
and  while  in  this  condition  the  Indians  took  from 
him  his  gun,  cartridge-belt  and  box,  his  cap,  coat 
and  shoes,  leaving  him  destitute  of  clothing,  save 
his  shirt  (saturated  with  blood  from  his  wound),  and 
his  trousers.  The  mystery  is  that  he  was  not 
scalped,  but  his  escape  was  no  doubt  due  to  a  dis- 
tracted state  among  the  savages  who  were  rent  with 
dissension  over  the  personal  effects  of  their  victims. 
Sutherland  fell  near  the  river,  where  he  lay  for  sev- 
eral hours.  Returning  to  consciousness,  he  found 
himself  crazed  with  pain  and  thirst.  Lifting  his 
head  cautiously,  he  looked  about  him,  half  stupe- 
fied, yet  curious  to  learn  whether  his  comrades,  who 
were  in  action  when  he  fell,  had  been  annihilated. 
While  the  savages  had  completed  their  hellish 
work,  they  were  still  in  the  vicinity,  and  he  could 
hear  their  voices  not  far  away,  and  the  firing  of 
guns  far  and  near  warned  him  of  the  havoc  being 
wrought  upon  the  settlements  of  the  vicinity.  He 
determined  to  crawl  to  the  river  and  slake  his  burn- 
ing thirst,  even  though  to  do  so  should  cost  him  his 
life.  He  tested  his  strength  in  an  effort  to  turn 


56  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

over,  having1  fallen  on  his  face  when  shot.  He  found 
he  could  move  his  body,  and  down  through  the  high 
grass  and  weeds  he  dragged  himself  to  the  water's 
edge,  leaving  a  trail  stained  with  blood  to  betray 
him  should  an  Indian  cross  his  path.  He  was  much 
refreshed  with  copious  draughts  of  water,  and 
crawled  back  into  the  weeds,  where  he  meditated, 
and  wondered  if  escape  was  a  physical  possibility. 
He  reasoned  that  no  attempt  at  escape  should  be 
made  before  nightfall.  Thirst  compelled  him  to 
make  several  visits  to  the  river.  Near  his  drinking 
place  was  a  skiff,  lodged  against  the  river's  bank, 
and  partially  filled  with  water.  The  waterlogged 
boat  suggested  a  possible  means  of  escape,  and  he 
resolved  that  if  not  discovered  and  slain  before 
dark  he  would  make  a  superhuman  effort  to  save  his 
life.  At  about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  after  all  the 
savages  had  joined  in  the  hideous  orgies  of  the 
scalp-dance  on  the  Agency  side  of  the  river,  he  felt 
that  now  if  ever  he  must  carry  out  his  resolution. 
He  crept  cautiously  to  the  water's  edge,  removed 
as  much  water  from  the  boat  as  possible  with  his 
hands  while  the  craft  lay  on  its  edge,  and  pushing 
it  into  the  stream,  got  in.  There  was  no  seat  in  the 
boat,  no  oars,  no  paddle,  and  nothing  with  which  to 
bail  out  the  water,  of  which  there  was  a  consider- 
able quantity  at  the  outset.  He  sat  down  in  this  in 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  hatless  and  without  clothing 
to  protect  his  shattered  body  from  the  penetrating 
chill  of  night,  with  no  nourishment  of  any  kind. 
Thus  he  began  his  solemn  journey,  dependent  whol- 
ly upon  his  boat  and  the  current  of  the  sluggish 
river. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  57 

As  he  drifted  silently  away  under  the  southwest- 
ern hills,  the  hideous  din  of  the  scalp-dance,  con- 
ducted but  a  matter  of  rods  away  from  where  he  had 
lain  for  hours,  became  less  and  less  distinct,  until 
croaking  frogfs  or  an  occasional  bittern  alone  broke 
the  silence  of  night.  In  this  hapless  plight,  this 
country  boy  of  twenty  summers,  who  had  left  all 
the  comforts  of  a  happy  home,  tenanted  with  loved 
ones,  to  enter  the  army  and  serve  his  country,  be- 
gan a  voyage  under  conditions  seeming  to  challenge 
fate  and  which  fiction,  in  all  its  reckless  extrava- 
gance, would  scarce  attempt  a  parallel. 

All  that  night,  all  the  next  day,  and  all  the  fol- 
lowing night  until  nearly  dawn,  this  ghostly  figure 
drifted  silently  along,  now  backwards,  now  side- 
wise  and  now  for  an  hour  or  so  whirled  helplessly 
in  an  eddy.  The  nights  were  gloomy  and  solemn, 
but  not  more  so  than  the  light  of  day,  that  revealed 
the  pall  of  death  on  every  hand.  Sutherland  was 
seized  with  a  delusion  that  haunted  him  against  rea- 
son, from  the  outset  of  his  journey.  He  felt  that  he 
was  helplessly  being  carried  in  the  wrong  direction 
— that  he  should  go  up  stream  instead  of  down,  and 
this  fantasy  gave  him  no  end  of  trouble.  He  was 
shot  on  Monday  afternoon.  He  entered  his  boat 
Monday  night,  and  there  remained  until  the  break 
of  day  Wednesday  morning.  He  knew  his  progress 
had  been  very  slow,  but  he  felt  that  if  the  boat  had 
carried  him  in  the  proper  direction,  he  must  be  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Fort.  At  all  events  he  found 
that  he  must  abandon  the  waterlogged  boat,  for  he 
had  become  so  stiffened  he  could  scarcely  move. 
Against  his  better  judgement,  the  bewildering  de- 


58  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

lusion  that  had  been  his  pursuing  nemesis,  impell- 
ed him  to  land,  by  paddling  with  his  hands,  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  river,  or  on  the  side  opposite  the 
Fort.  Benumbed  and  weakened,  but  stimulated 
with  the  hope  that  he  would  soon  reach  the  garri- 
son, he  picked  his  way  through  a  jungle  of  under- 
brush, and  out  of  the  valley  and  up  the  wooded  hills 
until  he  reached  the  open  prairie  on  the  highlands. 
He  saw  Indian  cabins  that  were  strange  to  him,  but 
no  trace  of  the  garrison  or  of  any  familiar  object. 
His  heart  sickened,  and  despair  overwhelmed  him, 
and  he  sank  to  the  earth.  But  his  great  will-power 
triumphed,  and  he  rose  to  his  feet  again.  The  sun 
had  now  risen  to  flood  the  earth  with  its  exhilarat- 
ing light.  Sutherland  realized  that  he  must  return 
to  the  shelter  of  the  river  valley,  as  he  was  in 
great  danger  of  being  discovered;  and  as  he 
turned  his  face  to  the  northeastward,  to  his  amaze- 
ment and  joy  he  beheld  Fort  Ridgely  in  the  favor- 
ing light  of  the  morning  sun,  on  the  hills  beyond 
the  river,  the  colors  flying  at  full-mast,  assuring 
him  that  without  doubt  the  Fort  had  not  fallen.  He 
now  knew  he  had  abandoned  his  boat  not  far  above 
the  road  crossing  the  river  by  a  ferry,  and  leading 
to  the  Fort.  He  set  out  to  reach  the  river  at  the 
ferry-crossing,  but  on  his  arrival  at  the  stream  a 
new  disappointment  awaited  him.  The  rope  span- 
ning the  river  had  been  cut  and  the  ferry  was  gone. 
There  was  but  one  alternative :  he  must  swim  the 
river  or  perish  in  the  attempt  to  do  so.  He  lost  no 
time,  but  got  down  into  the  water,  which  was  soon 
beyond  his  depth,  compelling  him,  while  suffering 
excruciating  pain  in  the  effort,  to  exert  himself  to 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  59 

keep  from  sinking.  By  the  assistance  of  the 
current  he  landed  on  the  opposite  side,  where, 
having  been  carried  several  rods  down  stream,  he 
experienced  great  difficulty  in  pulling"  himself  up 
the  abrupt  and  brush-grown  river  bank.  He  ac- 
complished all  this,  however,  and  walked  a  mile, 
most  of  the  way  up-hill,  and  reached  the  Fort,  a 
gaunt,  bent,  blood-stained,  half-naked  specter,  as  if 
risen  from  the  dead  to  affright  his  surviving  com- 
rades. He  arrived  at  the  garrison  between  8  and  9 
o'clock  of  Wednesday  morning,  August  20th,  and 
an  hour  later  the  Indians  came  in  swarms  over  the 
road  by  which  he  had  barely  made  his  escape. 

But  Blodgett's  escape  was  even  more  miraculous. 
It  would  not  be  rash  to  say  that  it  has  no  record- 
ed parallel.  He  was  shot  through  the  abdomen,  the 
bullet  penetrating  the  intestines.  He  lay  conceal- 
ed from  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until  between  9 
and  10  o'clock  at  night,  without  aid,  comfort,  water, 
nourishment  or  the  knowledge  that  a  soul  of  the 
command  beside  himself  had  survived  the  battle. 
For  an  hour  after  the  engagement  the  savages  were 
busy  all  about  him,  scalping  his  fallen  comrades, 
whose  cries  for  mercy  he  heard,  as  the  cruel  knife 
was  applied,  or  as  the  deadly  war-club  fell  upon 
their  heads.  The  savages  were  once  within  ten 
feet  of  him,  but  a  distracting  quarrel  between  the 
Indians  who  were  conducting  a  search  a  few  feet 
away,  and  which  ended  in  a  physical  encounter  for 
the  possession  of  a  gun,  diverting  their  attention 
from  his  concealment,  no  doubt  made  his  escape 
possible.  When  the  wild  orgies  of  the  savages  were 
at  their  height  at  nightfall  on  the  Agency  side  of 


60  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

the  river,  and  when  he  felt  sure  the  Indian  guards 
had  been  tempted  to  the  exciting"  scenes  in  celebra- 
tion of  their  awful  deeds  of  blood,  Blodgett  arose, 
and  although  in  agony  scarcely  endurable,  started 
down  stream  along  the  river's  bank,  first  having  re- 
freshed himself  with  a  drink  of  water,  to  make  the 
Fort  if  possible.  Man's  endurance  was  never  put  to 
a  severer  test.  With  no  food  since  breakfast, without 
water  for  hours  and  crazed  with  thirst,  and  the  suf- 
ferer from  a  wound  almost  invariably  mortal — these 
were  the  conditions  under  which  this  young  soldier, 
determined  to  reach  his  comrades,  set  out  in  dark- 
ness, without  path,  guide  or  a  knowledge  of  the 
country,  at  times  feeling  that  consuming  pain  would, 
in  spite  of  his  endeavors,  thwart  his  strong  will. 
After  struggling  along  for  a  few  hours,  during  which 
he  had  made  about  three  miles,  he  found  he  could 
go  no  farther  in  the  darkness  through  the  vines  and 
brushwood  which  at  every  step  seemed  to  be  tear- 
ing his  wound  open  anew,  and  he  lay  down  and 
rested  as  best  he  could  until  morning,  tortured  un- 
mercifully throughout  the  night  by  swarms  of  mos- 
quitoes. When  daylight  came  he  carefully  picked 
his  way,  at  all  times  keeping  himself  under  cover 
of  the  trees  near  the  river,  so  as  not  to  expose  him- 
self to  the  Indians,  in  which  manner  he  advanced 
about  six  miles  before  nightfall.  After  the  dark- 
ness came  on  he  realized  that  he  must  abandon  all 
hope  of  saving  himself,  unless  he  could  reach  the 
highway  on  the  prairie  uplands  to  the  north  of  the 
river,  as  his  strength  was  too  rapidly  failing  him  to 
stem  the  jungle  of  brush,  brambles  and  tangled 
grass.  He  therefore  resolved  to  cross  the  bottom, 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  61 

climb  the  hill,  and  gain  the  highway  if  possible, 
though  he  would  thus  be  much  more  liable  to  disov- 
ery  by  the  savages.  Having  pushed  along  over  the 
pathless  ground  in  the  darkness  of  night  for  an 
hour,  he  reached  the  Fort  road,  and  started  slowly 
on  his  way  to  the  garrison.  When  he  arrived  at  the 
Three-Mile  House  (three  miles  from  the  Fort),  he 
entered  it,  and  finding  a  match,  lit  it,  and  was  in 
the  act  of  searching  for  something  to  eat  or  drink, 
when  he  was  startled  by  a  man's  voice  on  the  out- 
side, saying,  "  If  there  are  any  whites  in  there,  let 
them  come  out  and  go  to  the  Fort,  for  I  just  passed 
an  Indian  camp  in  the  valley,  only  a  short  distance 
away."  Blodgett  suspected  this  to  be  the  ruse  of 
an  unfriendly  halfbreed,  who  was  simply  attempt- 
ing to  betray  him  into  the  hands  of  the  savages ; 
but  he  could  lose  nothing  by  making  himself  known, 
and  stepping  out,  called  in  the  darkness  to  the  un- 
known spokesman,  who  proved  to  be  John  Fanska, 
a  German  of  New  Ulm,  who  had  gone  to  the  Agen- 
cy on  business  just  before  the  massacre,  who  was 
frightfully  wounded  by  an  arrow  which  had  been 
fired  into  his  back  during  the  outbreak  at  Redwood 
on  the  18th,  and  who  had  thrown  a  blanket  over  his 
head  and  escaped  to  the  timber  near  the  river  in 
the  excitement.  The  arrow-head  had  completely 
buried  itself  in  his  back,  and  reaching  shelter, 
writhing  in  agony,  he  attempted  to  withdraw  the 
arrow,  but  only  made  matters  worse  by  breaking 
the  shaft  off  where  it  was  attached  to  the  cruel 
barb.  But  one  thing  could  be  worse  than  this  tor- 
ture, and  that  would  be  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
savages.  This  greater  dread  made  the  sufferings 


62  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

of  the  wounded  man  endurable,  though  the  point  of 
the  arrow-head  had  penetrated  his  right  lung.  Like 
Blodgett,  he  had  thus  far  eluded  the  Indians,  and 
was  endeavoring  to  reach  the  garrison.  Blodgett, 
with  his  new-found  companion,  reached  Ft.  Ridgely 
at  2  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  August 
20th,  thirty-six  hours  after  receiving  his  frightful 
wound  still  undressed,  and  with  nothing  to  eat  since 
breakfast  of  Monday  morning,  covering  a  distance 
the  way  he  came,  of  fully  eighteen  or  twenty  miles.* 

Ezekiel  Rose  made  his  escape,  wounded,  from  the 
ferry  disaster  by  night,  and  fearing  the  Fort  had 
fallen,  made  his  way  through  the  country  to  Hen- 
derson. 

In  the  terrible  conflict  at  the  ferry,  the  fighting 
assuming  an  almost  hand-to-hand  stage,  the  ranks 
of  the  soldiers  became  shattered,  and  when  Cap- 
tain Marsh  gave  the  order  to  seek  shelter  in  the 
brush  below  the  ferry  road,  a  number  of  men  were 
so  far  detached  to  the  northward  from  their  com- 
rades, and  were  so  engaged  in  the  fierce  struggle, 
with  their  ranks  being  decimated  to  the  bounds  of 
extermination,  that  they  fought  their  way  out  along 
the  road  upon  which  they  had  entered  the  death- 
trap, and  their  guns  becoming  too  hot  for  service, 
fell  in  the  combat,  or  took  to  shelter  individually, 
wherever  they  could  find  it.  Six,  beside  the  two 
wounded  men,  Blodgett  and  Sutherland,  thus  mirac- 
ulously escaped  with  their  lives,  and  returned  to 
the  Fort  under  the  cover  of  night.  Those  who  es- 

*  Blodgett  survived  his  frightful  experience,  and  resides  (1909)  in  San  Jose, 
California.  Sutherland  recovered  and  served  with  his  company  in  the  South 
until  the  close  of  the  Civil  War. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  63 

caped  with  Captain  Marsh,  and  were  taken  into  the 
Fort  by  Sergeant  Bishop,  after  the  drowning1  of 
Captain  Marsh,  were  : 

John  F.  Bishop  William  E.  Winslow 

Truman  D.  Huntley      Charles  H.  Hawley 
John  Brennan  Levi  Carr 

James  Dunn  William  B.  Hutchinson 

John  McGowan  Antonie  Rebenski 

John  Serfling  Samuel  Stewart 

Ole  Svendson  Stephen  VanBuren 

James  Murray. 

Those  who  became  detached  and  for  lack  of  am- 
munition or  on  account  of  the  non-servicable  con- 
dition of  their  guns  were  forced  to  seek  individual 
shelter,  and  who  thus  escaped  to  the  Fort  in  the 
night,  were  : 

James  W.  Foster  Thomas  Parsley 

James  M.  Munday         Ambrose  Gardner 
Charles  Beecher*  Ezekiel  Rose 


*Beecher  did  not  reach  the  Fort  until  Wednesday  forenoon,  just  in  time  for 
the  first  day's  fight.  Rose  escaped  to  Henderson. 

[  NOTE — After  the  preparation  of  these  manuscripts,  learning  that  Blodgelt 
was  believed  to  be  living,  I  instituted  a  search  for  him,  covering  a  period  of 
nearly  a  year.  Through  the  western  pension  agencies  I  persisted  in  my  search, 
and  was  finally  rewarded  through  the  San  Francisco  agency.  Though  I  had 
never  met  Blodgett  since  the  close  of  the  war,  I  wrote  the  account  of  his  ex- 
perience as  in  the  foregoing  as  he  related  it  to  me  at  the  time  of  its  occurrence. 
Locating  him,  I  asked  for  a  statement  for  this  volume,  and  received  from  him 
under  date  of  January  4,  1908,  the  following  account,  hitherto  unpublished. — 

O.  G.  W.J 

The  company  at  once  fell  into  line,  and  46  men  were  detailed 
to  go  with  Captain  Marsh  to  the  scene  of  disturbance,  each  man  taking  forty 
rounds  of  ammunition.  *  *  I  was  one  of  the  46  men  to  go  with  Captain 
Marsh.  Starting  out,  we  were  soon  overtaken  on  the  march  by  four  mule  teams. 


64  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

As  an  illustrative  incident,  the  experience  of  Jas. 
W.  Foster  and  Thomas  Parsley,  above,  is  related. 
Foster's  gun  becoming:  so  hot  a  cartridge  could  no 
longer  be  forced  home  with  the  steel  rammer,  and 
finding  himself  quite  alone,  he  dropped  and  crept  to 
the  sheltering  screen  of  a  vine  that  grew  over  a 
plum-tree.  The  ghastly  work  he  had  witnessed  was 
burned  into  his  brain,  and  he  was  so  utterly  de- 
fenseless, save  the  protection  a  clubbed-gun  might 
afford  him  for  a  brief  moment,  that  he  hailed  with 
delight  the  opportunity  his  concealment  gave  him 
for  an  instant's  reflection.  He  had  no  belief  that 
he  would  not  be  discovered  and  dispatched,  but  to 
reveal  himself  was  certain  death.  He  therefore 
coolly  resolved  to  take  the  needed  rest  his  shelter 
.was  affording  him,  allow  his  gun  to  become  useful 
again  if  possible,  and  sell  his  life  dearly  if  he  must. 
The  last  man  having  apparently  fallen,  the  savages 
now  nothing  to  fear,  rushed  in  with  their  clubs,  the 
crunching  blows  of  which  Foster  could  plainly  hear 

We  got  into  the  wagons  and  were  hurried  along.  When  out  about  eight  miles 
from  the  Fort  we  came  to  a  house  that  had  been  fired  by  the  savages.  Here 
we  saw  a  murdered  man  lying  by  the  roadside.  We  saw  several  more  dead 
bodies  as  we  passed  along.  About  two  miles  from  the  ferry  (at  the  Lower 
Agency),  before  going  down  th«  hill  to  the  bottom  land,  we  could  see  mount- 
ed Indians  pursuing  parties  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  in  many  cases 
they  were  overaken  and  slain.  We  descended  to  the  river  valley,  which  was 
covered  with  a  rank  growth  of  grass  and  weeds.  On  the  left  were  some  small 
thickets  of  wild  plum  and  willow.  On  the  right  were  some  trees  and  stumps. 
The  river  was  a  few  rods  from  and  nearly  parallel  with  the  road  we  were  on. 
As  we  approached  the  ferry  the  river  made  a  sharp  turn  and  ran  nearly  east  for 
a  short  distance.  Just  at  the  turn  a  small  creek  came  in,  and  the  point  of  land 
between  the  creek  and  river  was  covered  by  a  thick  growth  of  willows.  While 
going  through  this  part  of  the  road,  it  was  thought  best  by  some  to  throw  out 
skirmishers  to  learn  if  there  was  likely  to  be  any  trouble;  but  Captain  Marsh 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  65 

on  the  heads  of  his  helpless,  pleading  comrades. 
The  savage  demons  were  plainly  seen  by  Foster  in 
their  fiendish  contortions  of  exultation  as  they  dis- 
patched and  mutilated  the  fallen  men  who  had  gone 
down  in  the  open.  Back  and  forth  the  ground  was 
hunted  over,  but  the  running  fight  with  Captain 
Marsh  and  the  remnant  of  men  in  the  thicket  below 
the  ferry  road  attracted  many  of  the  savages  to  that 
scene,  though  the  ground  where  Foster  and  others 
had  fought  was  guarded  until  darkness  made  it  no 
longer  possible  to  observe  the  movements  of  the 
savages.  By  10  o'clock  at  night  fires  were  burning 
on  the  Agency  hill  across  the  river  and  it  was  plain 
the  awful  work  of  the  day  was  the  occasion  of  great 
joy  in  the  camp  of  the  savages.  Night  indeed  was 
made  hideous  by  the  frightful  revels  of  this  scalp- 
dance,  where  the  naked  bodies  of  the  savages,  with 
jerking  cadence,  crouched  and  swayed,  and  writhed 
and  leaped  around  the  central  fire,  in  the  light  of 
which  could  be  seen  as  they  bore  them  aloft,  the 

thought  the  Indians  would  not  dare  to  molest  the  soldiers,  and  that  probably 
the  disturbance  was  caused  by  a  few  Indians  who  had  by  some  means  obtained 
liquor.  As  we  approached  the  ferry,  which  was  on  our  side  of  the  river  at 
the  time,  we  saw  an  Indian  dressed  very  gorgeously  in  feathers  and  war-paint. 
He  was  standing  on  a  log  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  He  at  once  be- 
gan talking  with  Mr.  Quinn,  the  Interpreter,  telling  him  to  have  the  soldiers  come 
over  and  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace.  Mr.  Quinn  said  to  the  Captain  that  the 
Indian  was  a  chief  named  White  Dog,  and  did  not  belong  there,  and  tlhat  he 
feared  his  band  was  also  there,  and  that  he  feared  the  trouble  was  general.  He 
also  advised  the  Captain  not  to  venture  on  the  boat.  While  this  conversation 
was  going  on,  one  of  the  men  [John  F.  Bishop — O.  G.  W.J  went  down  to  the 
river  and  dipped  up  water  to  pass  to  the  men  in  ranks.  The  water  was  roily, 
as  though  recently  disturbed.  He  mentioned  to  the  Captain  that  he  thought  the 
Indians  were  crossing  the  river  above,  and  that  they  would  cut  off  our  chance 
of  retreat.  I  was  standing  second  from  the  right  of  the  company,  in  the  front 


66  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

bloody  trophies  of  the  awful  slaughter,  each  fiend 
in  his  turn  seeking:  to  make  more  hideous  the  occa- 
sion by  hisses,  howls,  groans  and  yells  than  his  fel- 
lows had  done.  Foster  reasoned  that  this  scene 
must  have  proven  irresistible  to  the  undisciplined 
Indian  sentinels  about  him,  and  that  this  was  his 
opportunity  for  escape.  He  arose  with  caution, 
and  in  silence  moved  with  measured  step  northeast- 
erly. He  had  gone  but  a  dozen  paces  through  the 
weeds  and  vines  when  he  was  startled  by  stepping 
upon  a  human  form.  No  sound  came  from  the  body 
at  his  feet.  Nothing  could  be  heard  in  the  deathly 
stillness  except  the  beating  of  his  own  heart.  Bend- 
ing low,  and  in  a  whisper,  he  asked  :  "  Is  this  one 
of  the  boys  from  the  Fort  ?"  Feeling  the  body  was 
not  that  of  a  dead  man,  he  again  whispered :  "  If 
this  is  one  of  the  boys  of  Co.  B,  get  up  and  let  us 
go  to  the  Fort."  No  answer  came,  but  as  he  stright- 
ened  up  to  proceed  on  his  journey  alone,  the  pros- 
trate form  moved,  and  there  came  from  it  in  a  low 

rank,  and  on  looking  to  the  right  saw  several  Indians  moving  on  the  point  of 
land  between  the  creek  and  river.  I  at  once  told  Orderly  Sergeant  Finley.  At 
that  moment  that  terrible  blood-curdling  war-whoop  of  the  Sioux,  that  no  white 
man  has  ever  succeeded  in  imitating,  was  sounded.  At  the  came  time  White 
Dog  discharged  his  gun  and  jumped  back  off  the  log.  I  felt  a  sharp  pain  in  my 
side  and  back,  and  began  to  sink  down.  I  first  thought  one  of  the  boys  had 
accidentally  hit  me  with  the  butt  of  his  gun.  Then  I  heard  a  general  discharge 
of  guns  and  a  chorus  of  yells,  and  saw  two  or  three  other  boys  fall.  I  put  my 
hand  to  my  side  and  found  a  bullet-hole  through  me.  I  then  tried  to  get  up, 
but  to  do  so  was  obliged  to  take  my  cartridge-belt  off.  While  lying  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  many  balls  struck  near  me  and  threw  sand  in  my  face.  I  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  up.  I  started  back  along  the  road  we  had  just  come  in  over. 
The  grass  seemed  to  be  full  of  Indians  as  I  ran  back.  I  ran  into  the  ferryman's 
house.  While  in  there  the  balls  pattered  through  the  house  and  the  window. 
The  building  was  deserted,  and  I  saw  it  would  not  do  to  stay  there,  so  I  ran 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  67 

tone:  "  Is  that  you,  Jim?"  uYes,"  said  Foster, 
"and  let  us  get  out  of  here  at  once."  The  man  whom 
Foster  thus  came  upon  proved  to  be  Thomas  Pars- 
ley, who,  when  his  gun  became  useless,  disarming: 
him,  fell,  and  like  Foster,  concealed  himself  and 
thus  escaped.  Indian  pickets  had  been  posted  with- 
in a  few  yards  of  him  until  their  whereabouts  could 
no  longer  be  determined  in  the  darkness  of  night, 
but  he  feared  to  leave  his  concealment  until  a  later 
hour,  and  as  many  half-breeds  were  on  the  war-path 
with  the  Indians,  and  as  these  were  known  to  speak 
English  well,  and  not  suspecting  a  member  of  his 
company  had  survived,  Parsley,  though  he  believed 
he  recognized  Foster,  even  in  a  whisper,  hesitated 
to  disclose  himself  until  assured  in  his  own  mind 
by  this  incident  that  he  was  not  the  sole  survivor  of 
Marsh's  detachment. 

In  the  midst  of  peace,  repose  and  daydreams  a 
demon  had  awakened  from  his  slumber,  to  pile 
event  upon  event,  tragedy  upon  tragedy,  with  start- 
out  and  across  the  road  to  the  barn.  Here  I  found  Comrade  John  Parks,  ly- 
ing badly  wounded.  I  tried  to  help  him  up,  but  he  could  not  stand.  As  I 
could  do  him  no  good  I  ran  on  into  the  brush  and  tall  grass.  I  saw  three  of 
our  boys  standing  with  their  backs  to  a  tree,  each  facing  a  different  direction, 
and  shooting  as  fast  as  they  could  load  their  guns.  I  ran  toward  them,  intend- 
ing to  take  the  other  quarter  of  the  tree,  thinking  it  possible  that  four  of  us 
might  be  able  to  make  a  stand,  but  just  as  I  reached  the  tree  the  last  one  of 
them  fell.  I  looked  in  the  direction  from  which  I  thought  the  balls  had  come, 
and  saw  an  Indian  in  the  act  of  reloading  his  gun.  I  took  a  quick  aim  and 
fired,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  fall.  I  then  loaded  my  gun  from 
the  ammunition  of  Corporal  Joseph  Besse,  and  once  more  started  for  the  brush. 
As  I  ran,  Comrade  Edwin  F.  Cole  came  into  the  path  in  front  of  me.  I  told 
him  to  run  faster.  He  said,  "  I  cannot ;  I  am  wounded."  I  asked  him  where, 
and  he  held  out  his  left  hand,  which  appeared  to  be  shattered.  Lifting  his  left 
hand  turned  him  into  a  path  to  the  left.  I  took  the  path  to  the  right.  Just 


68  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

ling:  swiftness  in  the  making  of  Northwestern  his- 
tory. The  day's  tragedies  were  appalling  indeed, 
and  it  is  hoped  that  another  such  bloody  page  as  that 
written  upon  this  date  will  never  again  stain  the  an- 
nals of  Minnesota. 

The  morning  of  August  19th  dawned  after  a  sleep- 
less night  at  Fort  Ridgely.  Lieutenant  Gere,  grasp- 
ing the  wide  scope  of  responsibility  he  had  suc- 
ceeded to  as  the  ranking  officer  of  the  garrison,  left 
nothing  to  luck  or  chance  from  the  outset.  One  of 
the  last  official  acts  of  Captain  Marsh  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  18th,  before  starting  for  Redwood,  was  to 
write  an  order  for  the  return  of  Lieutenant  Sheehan 
and  his  fifty  men  who  left  on  the  17th  on  their  re- 
turn to  Fort  Ripley,  this  order  being  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Corporal  James  C.  McLean,  fitted  by  cour- 
age, tact  and  endurance  for  such  an  assignment. 

As  the  night  of  the  18th  approached,  with  its  rap- 
idly-increasing number  of  refugees,  and  its  harrow- 
then  I  heard  a  racket  in  front.  I  dropped  down  and  began  crawling  into  the 
grass.  My  feet  were  still  in  the  path,  when  Ezekiel  Rose,  our  fifer,  ran  over 
my  feet  with  two  Indians  in  hot  pursuit,  but  by  some  means  Rose  escaped.  1 
then  concluded  to  hide.  I  crawled  under  some  wild  morning-glory  vines  and 
reached  back  and  straightened  up  the  grass.  Just  then  I  heard  Comrade  Cole 
cry  out  as  if  in  great  pain,  and  heard  two  Indians  laugh  and  call  him  a  squaw. 
He  continued  to  beg,  so  I  concluded  they  were  torturing  him  in  some  way.  At 
first  I  thought  to  get  up  and  try  to  help  him.  Then  reason  came  to  me,  and  I 
knew  I  could  not  save  him,  even  if  I  gave  my  life  for  him.  While  these 
thoughts  were  running  through  my  head,  I  heard  the  most  sickening  sound  im- 
aginable. It  was  a  blow  with  a  tomahawk,  and  poor  Cole  was  no  more.  Had 
I  made  a  move  in  his  defense  it  would  have  only  added  one  more  to  that  aw- 
ful slaughter.  The  Indians  then  lit  their  pipes  and  sat  down  to  smoke.  I  could 
distinctly  smell  their  "  kinikanic."  They  could  not  have  been  more  than  ten  or 
twelve  feet  from  me.  They  soon  left,  and  all  became  quiet.  *  * 


OF  THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  69 

ing  tales  from  the  settlements,  and,  finally,  with  the 
first  tidings  of  the  frightful  disaster  to  Captain 
Marsh  and  his  men,  the  garrison  found  itself  in  des- 
perate straits.  Lieutenant  Gere  dispatched  a  mes- 
senger in  the  person  of  Private  William  J.  Sturgis, 
on  the  best  horse  at  the  post,  with  a  message  to  the 
commandant  at  Fort  Snelling  and  to  Governor  Ram- 
sey at  St.  Paul,  apprising  them  of  the  massacre  and 
condition  of  affairs,  and  asking  them  to  render 
promptly  such  assistance  as  the  dangerous  state 
demanded.  Sturgis  was  also  ordered  to  apprise 
Lieutenant  Culver  and  Indian  Agent  Galbraith,  then 
on  their  way  to  Fort  Snelling  with  the  Renville 
Rangers  and  urge  their  hasty  return  to  Fort  Ridgely. 

With  savages  spreading  over  the  country,  the 
sending  of  messengers  was  attended  with  no  little 
risk  to  those  who  were  assigned  to  this  duty,  but 
Sturgis,  like  McLean,  could  be  trusted  to  proceed 
alertly  and  execute  faithfully. 

With  his  twenty-odd  men,  Lieutenant  Gere  must 

The  battle  at  the  ferry  began  at  about  1:30  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  lasted  about 
20  minutes.  There  were  22  killed  outright,  and  5  were  wounded  who  escaped 
and  reached  Fort  Ridgely  between  that  time  and  2  o'clock  a.  m.  of  the  20th. 
*  *  *  I  lay  concealed  in  the  grass  from  near  2  o'clock  p.  m.  until  dark. 
It  was  a  very  warm  day  (August  1 8th)  and  I  suffered  from  thirst.  I  could  hear 
an  Indian  boy  or  squaw  occasionally,  not  far  away,  and  knew  it  was  not  safe 
to  show  myself.  When  it  grew  dark  I  attempted  to  get  up,  but  was  so  stiff 
and  sore  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  rise,  and  I  was  obliged  to  leave  my  gun  in  the 
grass.  I  started  toward  a  small  lake  to  get  a  drink,  but  I  was  so  sore  and  the 
ground  was  so  uneven  I  moved  with  great  effort.  My  feet  would  catch  in  some 
vine  or  root  and  cause  me  to  stumble  and  almost  fall,  and  every  jar  caused  me 
great  pain.  I  was  obliged  to  go  very  slow,  and  feel  my  way  carefully.  I  at 
last  succeeded  in  reaching  the  lake.  After  quenching  my  thirst  I  concluded  to 
lie  down  and  wait  for  daylight  before  attempting  to  go  farther.  The  mosqui- 
toes were  very  troublesome  all  night.  At  times  I  think  I  mus  have  lost  my  rea- 


70  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

make  judicious  dispositions.  Nearly  the  entire  ef- 
fective force  were  posted  as  pickets,  Gere  person- 
ally placing  the  men  at  dark,  with  full  instructions 
as  to  their  duty.  This  was  indeed  a  thin  and  slen- 
der line  for  the  defense  of  the  garrison  and  the  two 
to  three  hundred  refugees  gathered  in  the  buildings 
of  the  Fort.  The  refugees  realized  this  fact,  and 
were  in  a  constant  state  of  nervous  tension,  need- 
ing but  the  sound  of  a  gun  to  precipitate  a  panic, 
as  was  illustrated  during  the  night  when  one  of  the 
outer  pickets  fired  at  some  obscure  object  and  ran 
in,  shouting  "  Indians  !"  The  scene  that  followed 
beggars  description.  The  alarm  was  accepted  as 
the  awful  realization  of  the  expected,  for  conditions 
strengthened  the  feeling  among  these  terror-strick- 
en people  that  Nature's  last  penalty  was  to  be  in- 
flicted, and,  too,  without  any  compensating  qualifi- 
cations, such  as  instant  death,  or  death  at  the  hands 
of  a  civilized  foe,  even.  These  refugees  were 
massed  in  the  wooden  buildings,  forming  the  east 

son.  I  could  not  sleep  much,  and  would  rouse  up  and  find  myself  talking  to 
Jack  Fauver  of  our  company,  who  drove  the  ambulance,  but  who  of  course  was 
miles  away,  if  alive.  I  would  thank  him  for  coming  after  me,  or  ask  him  not 
to  go  and  leave  me.  Then  again  I  would  keep  still  and  think  I  was  hiding 
from  the  Indians.  Morning  came  at  last,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  light  enough, 
I  once  more  got  up  by  the  aid  of  a  tree  and  started  for  Fort  Ridgely,  which 
was  still  twelve  miles  distant.  I  dared  not  go  out  into  the  open  road,  or  show 
myself  in  the  open  grass  land,  but  kept  in  the  brush.  It  was  very  slow,  and 
hard  work  to  get  along,  so  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  I  ventured  out 
into  the  wild  meadow,  there  havimg  been  no  signs  of  Indians,  and  was  getting 
along  better;  but  on  looking  around  I  saw  four  Indians.  I  was  first  attracted 
to  them  by  the  tinkling  of  little  bells  on  their  ponies.  They  were  on  the  road 
on  the  hill,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  They  had  just  passed  a  thicket, 
and  come  in  sight  of  the  open  space  I  had  entered.  I  dropped  into  the  grass, 
which  was  waist-high,  and  at  once  ran  to  the  lake,  which  was  only  a  few  yards 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  71 

and  west  sides  of  the  square  of  the  Fort.  With  a 
view  to  their  greater  safety  Lieutenant  Gere  had 
ordered  the  removal  of  all  these  fugitives  to  the 
long  stone  barracks  building  at  the  north  side  of 
the  square.  The  crouching,  cringing,  praying, 
grief-stricken  mass  was  cowed  into  inactivity  by 
the  reign  of  terror  that  had  swept  the  settlements 
and  put  them  to  flight,  but  the  firing  of  the  shot 
and  the  alarm  accompanying  it  set  the  affrighted 
mass  into  a  pell-mell  scramble  for  such  security  as 
the  stone  building  might  afford.  The  value  of  dis- 
cipline was  never  more  forcibly  illustrated  than  on 
this  occasion  Among  the  fugitives  were  not  a  few 
men,  and  many  of  these  lost  their  heads  in  the  mad 
rush  for  the  barracks,  the  windows  of  which  they 
crushed  to  facilitate  ingress,  while  numerous  great 
double  doors  yawned  to  receive  with  ample  facility 
the  entire  motley  throng.  But  they  were  terror- 
stricken,  and  not  the  hindmost  in  the  scurrying 
bedlam  that  made  night  hideous.  On  the  other 

distant.  I  jumped  in  and  swam  along  the  bank  until  I  found  some  overhang- 
ing brush  and  vines.  I  crawled  up  under  them  and  waited,  for  I  was  almost 
sure  they  had  seen  me.  After  waiting  some  time  and  hearing  nothing,  I  crawl- 
ed  up  the  bank,  and  this  time  I  kept  out  of  sight.  Soon  after  I  saw  the  Indians 
going  up  the  hill  about  two  miles  away.  Several  times  during  the  day  I  went 
into  the  river  and  bathed  my  wound,  which  had  become  very  troublesome,  as 
I  was  obliged  to  stoop  and  bend  my  body  in  order  to  get  through  the  brush.  I 
lay  down  once  near  noon  and  slept  about  an  hour.  At  about  5  P.  M.  there 
came  up  a  thundershower,  and  it  rained  nearly  an  hour.  It  then  turned  colder, 
and  I  was  very  uncomfortable,  with  cold,  hunger  and  a  bad  wound.  I  found 
a  few  bunches  of  wild  grapes  which  I  ate.  At  dusk  that  night  I  had  covered 
but  four  miles,  and  now  I  was  obliged  to  climb  a  high,  hard  bluff.  It  was  a 
hard  undertaking,  and  three  times  I  lay  down  and  said  I  could  not  make  it,  but 
after  lying  a  while  I  got  cold,  and  then  would  say  "well,  if  I  do  not  try  again 
I  will  surely  die  here,"  so  I  sought  another  bush  and  pulled  myself  up  once 


72 RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

hand  the  soldiers  were  self-reliant  and  the  per- 
sonification of  composure,  taking  their  assignments 
for  a  heroic  defense  of  the  garrison. 

If  Indians  were  responsible  for  the  alarm,  they 
were  merely  a  reconnoitering  party,  for  no  attack 
was  made  on  the  Fort,  and  the  pickets  were  again 
posted,  remaining  without  relief  or  sleep  through- 
out the  night,  as  did  all  the  effectives  of  the  garri- 
son, watchful  and  in  readiness  for  instant  action. 
The  night  was  one  of  constant  vigil  by  the  sol- 
diers, and  of  supplication,  moaning  and  ceaseless 
wailing  in  the  barracks  where  the  refugees  were 
gathered,  and  daylight,  whatever  it  might  bring, 
was  welcomed.  The  great,  glorious  morning  sun, 
whose  enveloping  flood  dispelled  the  gloom  of 
night,  had  a  mollifying  effect.  The  mental  and 
physical  strain  upon  the  soldiers,  and  the  agonies 
of  the  fugitives  were  unchanged,  but  the  sunlight 
of  heaven,  like  a  merciful  anaesthetic,  soothed  the 
weary  and  consoled  the  distressed. 

more,  and  gained  a  few  yards.  1  could  not  get  up  on  my  feet  without  the  aid 
of  a  bush,  shrub,  or  something  to  take  hold  of,  to  pull  myself  up  by  my  hands. 
After  a  long  and  very  discouraging  effort  I  reached  the  top  of  the  bluff.  Here 
I  saw  a  house  which  had  been  recently  fired,  and  was  still  burning  brightly.  I 
stood  by  a  tree  for  some  time  but  could  not  see  anyone  moving,  so  concluded 
there  were  no  Indians  near.  I  passed  the  burning  house  a  little  to  the  left,  and 
gained  the  road  to  the  Fort.  It  must  have  been  nearly  nine  o'clock,  and  I  had 
nearly  eight  miles  to  go.  I  was  very  hungry,  as  I  had  had  nothing  to  eat  since 
breakfast  on  Monday  morning,  and  it  was  now  Tuesday  night,  but  once  in  the 
road,  I  was  able  to  make  better  time.  Once  I  heard  the  sound  of  hoofs 
approaching  me.  I  left  the  road  a  short  distance  and  lay  down  in  the  grass. 
As  the  objects  came  up  over  a  slight  knoll  I  could  see  against  the  sky  they 
were  cattle.  I  waited  until  they  passed,  and  returning  to  the  road  continued  on 
towards  the  Fort.  Near  midnight,  and  when  about  three  miles  from  the  Fort, 
1  came  to  a  house  where  we  had  often  traded  coffee  and  sugar  for  butter,  eggs 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  73 

To  the  mad  revelry  at  the  Redwood  Agency  on 
the  night  of  the  18th,  in  celebration  of  the  horri- 
ble deeds  of  blood  of  the  day,  may  be  attributed 
the  escape  of  Fort  Ridgely  from  a  night  attack. 
What  of  the  19th,  now  unfolding,  to  be  engraven 
with  history  ? 

The  merciless  carnage  at  the  Agency  had  fur- 
nished a  scene  for  the  Indians  never  before  dream- 
ed of,  and  by  the  side  of  which  their  combats  with 
their  hereditary  foes,  the  Chippewas,  were  puerile 
and  vapid.  Wild  with  the  excitement  born  of  riot 
and  bloodshed,  the  Indians  were  difficult  of  manage- 
ment by  their  chiefs,  as  they  ever  are,  chieftainship 
never  carrying  with  it  the  right  or  ability  to  dis- 
cipline in  matters  of  detail. 

There  was  such  pleasure  in  torturing,  mutilating 
and  murdering  defenseless  women  and  children, 
and  this  horrible  pastime  was  attended  with  such 
.slight  risk  to  the  young  warriors,  that  they  pre- 
ferred to  follow  it  up,  rather  than  engage  in  the 

and  milk.  I  went  to  the  door  and  knocked,  but  no  answer  came.  I  then  wen 
to  the  back  part  of  the  house,  got  in  through  an  open  window  and  found  some 
matches.  I  lit  one,  and  found  everything  in  the  house  upsidedown  and  in  con- 
fusion. I  then  went  into  the  pantry  to  get  something  to  eat  if  possible,  but 
could  find  nothing  but  a  piece  of  ham  bone,  with  very  little  meat  on  it,  but 
what  there  was  tasted  good.  I  was  in  the  house  only  a  few  minutes  when 
some  one  began  pounding  on  the  door.  I  dared  not  move  or  answer.  Present- 
ly a  man  came  to  the  window  and  asked  if  any  one  was  iu  the  house.  I  knew 
by  the  voice  that  it  was  some  German,  so  I  answered.  He  said:  "We  had 
better  hurry  on  to  the  Fort,  as  the  Indians  are  coming."  I  got  out.  As  we 
went  along  he  told  me  he  had  been  shot  in  the  right  shoulder  with  an  arrow, 
on  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the  outbreak  at  the  Agency.  He  had  hidden 
himself  in  a  haymow.  He  had  pulled  the  shaft  of  the  arrow  loose,  but  had 
left  the  steel  point  imbedded  in  his  flesh,  and  the  point  of  it  was  penetrating  his 
lung,  and  he  spat  blood.  His  name  was  John  Fanska,  and  his  home  was 


74  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

more  serious  tasks  of  meeting:  armed  men  in  battle. 
Murder,  plunder,  rapine  and  outrage,  were  fea- 
tures new  to  the  young:  savages,  and,  when  Little 
Crow  undertook  to  bend  their  energies  against 
Fort  Ridgely  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  dissension 
resulted. 

While  in  camp  on  the  Sheyenne  river  on  the 
4th  of  July,  1863,  on  the  Sibley  expedition  north- 
ward, the  writer,  with  John  McCole  as  interpre- 
ter, visited  the  camp  of  the  scouts  of  the  Sibley 
command,  and  had  a  prolonged  interview  with 
Chaska,  an  intelligent  scout  well  known  to  Mc- 
Cole, and  who  had  rendered  noble  service  in 
saving  the  missionaries  and  other  whites,  the 
previous  year.  Chaska  only  knew  the  story  of  the 
savages  as  he  learned  it  from  them  after  the  mas- 
sacre, but  related  fluently  and  intelligently  many 
things  that  were  matters  of  but  reasonable  conjec- 
ture on  the  part  of  the  garrison.  Asked  how  it  hap- 
pened that  Little  Crow  did  not  attack  Fort  Ridgely 

in  New  Ulm.  He  was  at  the  Agency  on  business  when  the  Indians  began  the 
slaughter.  He  was  very  weak,  and  we  had  to  rest  often.  He  could  get  up  all 
right,  and  would  stand  and  let  me  pull  myself  up  by  taking  hold  of  his  clothes. 
When  we  reached  the  picket  post  about  half  a  mile  out  from  the  Fort,  we  were 
challenged  by  one  of  the  men  on  guard  who  happened  to  be  one  of  those  who 
had  escaped  at  the  ferry  on  Monday.  When  1  answered  the  challenge  and  gave 
Kim  my  name,  he  said :  "  My  God,  it  can't  be,  for  I  saw  Blodgett  fall  a  sec- 
ond time."  We  were  received,  and  taken  immediately  to  the  hospital,  and  al- 
though it  was  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  Wednesday,  August  20th,  Dr.  Al- 
fred Muller  was  still  up,  and  dressed  our  wounds,  after  first  satisfying  our  hun- 
ger, it  having  been  forty  hours  since  I  had  eaten.  We  were  put  to  bed  and  1 
fell  asleep  very  soon.  I  was  awakened  by  the  sound  of  musketry,  and  there- 
fore must  have  slept  until  about  1 :30  in  the  afternoon.  Now  I  heard  those  hid- 
eous yells  again,  and  Little  Crow  had  attacked  the  garrison  with  his  warriors. 
*  *  *  *  When  the  firing  began  the  Doctor,  hospital  steward  and  patient* 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  75 

on  the  19th  of  August,  Chaska  replied  that  such  an 
attack  was  Little  Crow's  plan,  supported  by  nearly 
all  the  older  Indians,  but  his  forces  became  so  weak- 
ened by  dissension  among  the  young  men  before  he 
reached  the  garrison  that  he  finally  was  obliged  to 
give  up  the  attack  for  that  day,  though  he  left  the 
Agency  early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  with  a 
force  of  over  three  hundred  warriors,  bound  for  the 
Fort.* 

If  Little  Crow  had  not  previously  repented  his 
hasty  assumption  of  command,  he  now  no  doubt 
felt  that  his  consent  of  leadership  was  a  thankless 
task  and  a  grave  error.  His  plan  of  campaign  was 
first  to  wipe  out  the  Redwood  Agency,  and  then 
forthwith  to  take  Fort  Ridgely  at  the  time  of  its 
greatest  weakness.  This  would  give  the  savages 
freehand  in  all  the  settlements  north  of  New  Ulm 

"The  dissenting  Indians  spread  over  the  settlements  in  the  direction  of  New 
Ulm,  which  afforded  a  rich  field  for  rapine  and  murder,  and  late  in  the  day 
about  one  hundred  made  an  attack  on  New  Ulm. 

made  preparations  to  vacate  the  old  log  hospital  back  of  the  barracks,  and  go 
over  to  the  stone  quarters.  As  the  others  were  leaving,  I  asked  the  hospital 
Stewart  to  help  me  dress,  but  he  seemed  to  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  reach 
a  place  of  safety  to  help  any  one.  I  managed  to  get  up  and  dress  all  but  put- 
ting on  a  hat,  and  started  across  the  street.  It  was  more  difficult  for  me  to 
move  after  having  lain  down  so  long.  I  was  obliged  to  go  very  slow.  While 
crossing  the  street  or  passageway  between  the  log  buildings  and  the  barracks,  the 
bullets  were  Hying  past,  and  several  times  I  could  feel  the  wind  fan  my  cheeks. 
When  I  reached  the  stone  building  I  passed  along  the  west  end,  and  reached 
the  south  or  front  side  of  the  building.  Here  one  of  our  boys  helped  me  up 
the  steps,  and  said  "I  thought  you  would  never  get  across  that  street."  Several 
of  our  men  were  wounded  in  this  battle.  *  *  *  During  the  first  24  hours 
I  was  in  the  Fort  I  was  allowed  to  eat  as  the  others  did,  but  after  that,  and  for 
two  weeks,  my  diet  was  rice-water — nothing  more.  Then  I  was  allowed  a 
morsel  of  more  solid  food  the  quantity  being  gradually  increased.  The  second 


76  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

and  St.  Peter,  and  the  wily  old  chieftain  felt  deeply 
no  doubt  the  insubordination  that  frustrated  his 
plans.  His  judgment  from  the  stand-point  of  the 
savage,  having1  commenced  the  bloody  work,  was 
good,  for  had  he  attacked  the  Fort  immediately 
following  the  slaughter  of  Marsh's  men  at  Redwood, 
the  Fort  would  inevitably  have  fallen,  as  the  fewer 
than  thirty  men  in  the  garrison  could  not  have 
manned  all  the  exposures,  and  with  the  fall  of  the 
Fort  Sheehan  and  his  men,  with  limited  sustenance 
and  ammunition,  would,  despite  their  valor,  have 
been  annihilated.  So  also  would  the  Renville 
Rangers,  on  their  way  back  from  St.  Peter,  have 
been  blotted  out.  The  obduracy  of  the  young  men 
among  Little  Crow's  command  no  doubt  saved  all 
these  remnants  of  soldiery  and  the  lives  of  hun- 
dreds of  settlers  who  were  given  time  to  make 
their  way  to  places  of  safety,  as  Crow  was  averse 
to  penetrating  the  more  thickly  settled  country  in 
the  direction  of  St.  Peter  without  first  taking  Fort 
Ridgely.  While  he  was  subjugating  the  recalci- 
trant warriors  to  his  will,  Sheehan  reached  the  Fort 
with  his  fifty  men,  and  the  Renville  Rangers  like- 
wise came  in  safely,  uniting  elements  of  strength 

morning  after  reaching  the  Fort,  and  while  dressing  my  wound,  the  Doctor  re- 
moved some  puss,  and  mixed  with  it  were  some  grape  seeds,  and  particles  of 
food  escaped  from  the  wound  in  the  side  for  fourteen  days.  The  wound  in  the 
back,  where  the  ball  came  out,  was  very  painful,  and  had  to  be  cauterized  ev- 
ery morning.  When  I  was  shot,  the  ball  entered  between  the  two  lower  ribs 
on  the  left  side,  and  passed  out  near  the  spinal  column  on  the  same  side,  mak- 
ing a  wound  about  six  inches  long.  This  was  said  to  be  the  first  case  of  its 
kind  on  record,  and  Dr.  Alfred  Muller  made  a  full  report  of  the  case,  and  it  is 
on  file  in  the  Surgeon-General's  office  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

W.  H.  BLODGETT,  San  Jose,  Cal. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  77 

that  could  have  been  destroyed  in  detail,  had  he 
followed  up  with  a  prompt  attack  on  the  Fort. 

The  night  following:  the  massacre  at  the  Lower 
Agency,  August  18th,  as  related  by  Chaska,  it  was 
determined  in  council,  after  the  wild  revelry  and 
dancing  over  the  slaughter  with  which  their  hands 
were  still  red,  that  Fort  Ridgely  should  be  attack- 
ed the  next  morning,  August  19th,  Little  Crow 
mustering  that  evening  over  three  hundred  warriors 
for  the  onslought.  With  no  distracting  conditions 
prevailing,  this  programme  would  have  succeeded, 
but  a  disagreement  on  the  way  to  the  Fort  on  the 
policy  of  so  soon  turning  from  the  defenseless 
settlements  for  so  serious  an  undertaking  as  the 
facing  of  armed  men,  led  to  a  division  of  forces, 
which  reduced  Little  Crow's  soldiery  for  the  attack 
to  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men.  Not- 
withstanding this  diminution,  the  great  war  chief 
came  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Fort,  on  the 
morning  of  Tuesday,  August  19th,  where,  on  a  knoll 
to  the  northwestward,  in  plain  view,  he  held  a  coun- 
cil of  war.  The  council  circle  was  plainly  visible 
from  the  garrison,  and  manifestly  the  deliberations 
were  of  a  serious  nature.  Through  a  telescope 
which  some  one  at  the  Fort  fortunately  possessed, 
Little  Crow  was  recognized  as  the  chief  orator  of 
the  occasion,  standing  in  the  center  of  the  council 
circle.  Others  than  Little  Crow  also  addressed 
the  council,  but  the  war  chief,  always  conspicuous, 
was  the  only  Indian  to  be  recognized. 

Serious  as  was  the  moment  for  the  little  garrison, 
there  was  something  akin  to  amusement  in  the 
antics  of  an  Indian  who  frequently  rode  around  the 


78  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

council  circle  on  a  spotted  pony  at  break-neck 
speed.  What  his  spasmodic  gyrations  meant,  no 
one  could  divine,  or  has  ever  learned. 

These  were  moments  of  great  peril  for  Fort 
Ridgely,  whose  fate  hung  by  a  thread.  The  garri- 
son was  on  trial  for  its  life  in  this  council.  A  vote 
to  defer  attack  meant  that  Sheehan  and  his  men 
and  Galbraith,  Culver,  McGrew  and  Gorman  and 
the  Renville  Rangers  might  reach  us  in  safety ;  a 
vote  to  attack  at  once  meant  death  to  all. 

We  watched  the  deliberations  of  the  Indians  with 
profound  concern,  knowing  what  an  attack  on  the 
depleted  garrison  would  mean.  One-third  of  our 
company  had  been  annihilated  the  previous  day  at 
the  ferry,  while  other  members  of  it  were  on  their 
way  to  Fort  Snelling  with  the  Renville  Rangers. 
These  facts  made  the  deliberations  of  Little  Crow 
and  his  warriors  of  great  importance  to  the  garri- 
son. Finally  there  were  signs  that  the  stormy  coun- 
cil was  about  to  dissolve,  and  in  a  trice  the  savages 
rose  and  dispersed  from  view.  Our  suspense  was 
even  greater  now  than  before.  The  holding  of  this 
council  under  our  eyes  was  a  bold  piece  of  busi- 
ness, and  the  garrison  had  good  reason  to  regard 
it  with  the  suspicion  that  while  our  attention  was 
visited  upon  the  council  a  large  force  was  stealthily 
approaching  the  Fort  under  cover  of  ravines  and 
woods  from  the  opposite  direction.  But  the  Indians 
were  having  troubles  we  knew  not  of,  as,  naturally 
it  was  supposable  Little  Crow  had  his  entire  force 
well  in  hand. 

He  likewise,  however,  was  ignorant  of  our  condi- 
tion. He  had  occasion  to  believe  Sheehan  and  the 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE. 79 

Renville  Rangers  were  still  at  the  Fort.  His  speech 
in  the  council  is  said  to  have  been  substantially 
as  follows,  eliminating:  the  gall  poured  upon  the 
heads  of  those  who  had  failed  him  for  the  day  : 
4 'We  know  that  for  two  months  there  have  been 
from  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  men  at  the  Fort  (Marsh's  company  and 
fifty  men  of  Company  C,  called  in  June  to  attend 
the  Indian  payment.)  We  know  we  killed  half  of 
Marsh's  company  at  the  ferry  yesterday.  We  count- 
ed them  at  the  river  before  shooting.  We  know 
there  must  be  over  one  hundred  soldiers  in  the  Fort. 
We  cannot  take  the  Fort  with  the  braves  we  have 
today.  We  must  take  the  Fort.  Our  warriors  must 
come  tomorrow.  We  must  get  all  our  men  together 
and  we  must  attack  the  Fort  tomorrow  noon".  These 
were,  in  substance,  the  conclusions  of  the  council. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  impress  upon  the  mind 
of  the  reader  the  great  importance  to  the  frontier, 
of  the  failure,  at  a  critical  stage  of  the  massacre, 
of  Little  Crow's  warriors  to  obey  and  support  united- 
ly their  chieftain.  The  blood  of  over  three  hun- 
dred souls  at  the  Fort  would  have  added  to  the 
sanguinary  river  that  had  already  drenched  the 
Agency  and  the  surrounding  settlements,  for  bear 
in  mind  Fort  Ridgely  was  only  a  fort  in  name.  There 
were  no  protecting  walls  or  breastworks,  no  tren- 
ches, no  stockade.  Desperately  as  the  garrison 
might  have  defended  itself,  it  would  have  inevit- 
ably gone  down  to  death  in  one  brief  struggle ; 
Sheehan's  men  would  have  been  ambushed  in  the 
long,  gloomy,  wooded  defile  through  which  it  must 
pass  to  reach  the  Fort,  if  indeed  spared  to  gain  that 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


point,  and  the  Renville  Rangers  would  have  shared 
a  like  fate,  and  in  addition  several  hundred  settlers 
to  the  southeastward  would  have  been  added  to  the 
long  list  whose  lives  had  already  gone  out  in  un- 
speakable agfony.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the 
insubordination  of  Little  Crow's  warriors,  on  Au- 
gust 19th,  saved  the  lives  of  a  thousand  people. 

We  have  all  experienced  the  souPs  gratitude, 
when  depressed  with  the  gloom  of  prolonged  dark- 
ness, at  a  rift  in  angry  clouds,  through  which  the 
sun  poured  forth  a  flood  of  golden  light,  as  if  bear- 
ing a  joyous  message  from  the  land  of  eternal  life, 
but  a  thousand  times  intensified  in  comparison  was 
the  thrill  of  joy  that  electrified  every  soul  in  the 
garrison  when  Sheehan  and  his  fifty  men,  just  as 
the  Indians  were  dispersing  from  their  council, 
filed  rapidly  into  the  Fort  at  the  end  of  an  all-night 
forced  march  of  forty-two  miles.  These  men  had 
been  the  guests  and  companions  of  Co.  B  for  two 
months,  and  had  left  us  but  forty-eight  hours  before 
for  Fort  Ripley,  receiving  a  soldier's  good-bye  and 
a  God  speed  from  Captain  Marsh  and  the  noble 
fellows  who  had,  since  their  leaving  only  so  short 
a  time  before,  been  slaughtered  in  the  battle  of 
Redwood  ferry.  The  meeting  of  Sheehan  and  his 
men  and  the  little  remnant  of  Co.  B  in  the  garrison 
passes  the  bounds  of  description.  There  was  no 
time  for  demonstration,  but  fraternal  emotion  never 
surpassed  in  heartiness  and  spirit  the  hail  and  wel- 
come of  this  meeting,  which,  had  Little  Crow  at- 
tacked the  Fort  instead  of  holding  a  council,  would 
never  have  taken  place. 

Courier  Sturgis,    after  an   all-night  ride  over  a 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  81 

dreary  road,  reached  St.  Peter  at  dawn  on  the  morn- 
ing: of  August  19th,  with  his  message  announcing 
the  dire  straits  of  the  Fort  and  the  upper  frontier. 
Here  he  overtook  Lieutenant  Culver,  Sergeant  Mc- 
Grew  and  five  other  men,  all  of  Co.  B,  together 
with  Indian  Agent  Galbraith  and  James  Gorman, 
the  latter  in  command  of  the  Renville  Rangers,  all 
on  their  way  to  Fort  Snelling.  St.  Peter  was  stir- 
red to  its  foundations  with  excitement  when  the 
contents  of  the  message  of  Lieutenant  Gere  and 
the  verbal  report  of  Sturgis  spread  with  almost 
electric  swiftness  throughout  the  town,  confirming 
what  up  to  this  time  had  been  a  rumor,  but  one  that 
did  not,  in  the  public  mind,  portend  a  general  up- 
rising. 

In  this  day  no  railroad  had  penetrated  the  valley 
of  the  Minnesota  river;  nor  was  there  any  tele- 
graphic communication  between  St.  Paul  and  this 
upper  country. 

Men  were  never  more  prompt  in  responding  to  a 
call  than  were  the  brave  fellows  above  named  and 
the  Renville  Rangers,  the  latter  newly-recruited, 
not  even  mustered  into  the  service,  and  unarmed. 
Under  the  inspiration  of  this  call  to  duty,  great 
vigor  attended  every  detail  of  preparation  for  the 
return  to  the  Fort.  St.  Peter  was  fired  with  excite- 
ment and  activity  as  never  before,  and  rendered 
promptly  every  requirement  for  the  out-fitting  of 
the  men.  At  6  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  .the  19th 
the  expedition  set  out,  and  without  a  break  in  the 
rhythmic  step,  the  noble  fellows  covered  in  a  forc- 
ed march  the  distance  of  forty  miles  by  evening, 
entering  the  Fort  amid  wild  shouts  of  joy  and  wel- 


82  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

come,  for  at  last  the  garrison  considered  itself  on  a 
"war  footing,"  not  only  equal  to  self-defense,  but 
strong  enough  to  stay  the  bloody  hand  raised 
against  the  Minnesota  valley. 

Before  leaving  St.  Peter  a  sufficient  number  of 
old  Harper's  Ferry  muskets  were  secured  to  arm 
the  Renville  Rangers,  each  man  receiving  a  beggar- 
ly three  rounds  of  ammunition ;  but  what  might  have 
been  frightful  disaster  was  prevented  by  the  favor- 
ing fortune  that  diverted  the  enemy  from  the  Fort 
road  that  day. 

Thus,  on  the  eve  of  battle,  Fort  Ridgely  contain- 
ed, at  last,  the  following  military  strength : 

COMPANY  B,  FIFTH  MINNESOTA. 
Norman  K.  Culver,  First  Lieutenant 
Thomas  P.  Gere,  Second  Lieutenant 

SERGEANTS. 

James  G.   McGrew  John  F.  Bishop 

Arlington  C.  Ellis 

CORPORALS. 

David  W.  Atkins  William  Good 

Charles  H.  Hawley        Truman  D.  Huntley 
Michael   Pfremer  William  E.  Winslow 

Drummer—Charles  M.  Culver. 

PRIVATES 

George  M.  Annis  John  Brennan 

Charles  Beecher  Levi  Carr 

Charles  H.  Baker  William  H.  H.  Chase 

William  H.  Blodgett       James  Dunn 
Christopher  Boyer  Caleb  Elphee 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  83 

(Company  B,  continued) 

Andrew  J.  Fauver  Antoine  Rebenski 

James  W.  Foster  Heber  Robinson 

Columbia  French  Andrew  Rufredge 

Ambrose  Gardner  Lorin  Scripture 

Elias  Hoyt  John  Serfling 
William  B.  Hutchinson  Ole  Svendson 

Levi  W.  Ives  Allen  Smith 

John  W.  Lester  Samuel  Stewart 

Isaac  Lindsey  Robert  J.  Spornitz 

Henry  Martin  William  A.  Sutherland 

Arthur  McAllister  Martin  J.  Tanner 

John  McGowan  Jonathan  Taylor 

James  C.  McLean  Joel  A.  Underwood 

John  L.  Magill  Stephen  Van  Buren 

James  Murray  Eli  Wait 

Edward  F.  Nehrhood  Oscar  G.  Wall 

Thomas  Parsley  Andrew  W.  Williamson 

William  J.  Perrington  Martin  H.  Wilson 
Henry  F.  Pray 

In  this  list  are  all  surviving  members  of  Co.  B 
who  were  in  the  Fort  at  this  time,  including:  those 
who  were  so  disabled  as  to  be  incapacitated  for 
duty,  the  total  number  of  private  Soldiers  being 
forty-six. 

COMPANY  C,  FIFTH  MINNESOTA. 
Timothy  J.  Sheehan,  First  Lieutenant. 

SERGEANTS. 

John  P.  Hicks  F.  A.  Blackmer 

John  C.  Ross 


84 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


CORPORALS. 

M.  A.  Chamberlain          Wm.  Young 
Z.  C.  Butler  Dennis  Porter 


PRIVATES 


S.  P.  Beighley 
E.  D.  Brooks 
J.  M.  Brown 
J.  L.  Bullock 
Chas.  E.  Chapel 
Zachariah  Chute 
L.  H.  Decker 
Chas.  Dills 
Charles  H.  Dills 
S.  W.  Dogan 
L.  A.  Eggleston 
Halvor  Elefson 
Martin  Ellingson 

C.  J.  Grandy 
Mark  M.  Greer 
J.  P.  Green 

A.  K.  Grout 
Andrew  Gulbranson 
Peter  E.  Harris 
Philo  Henry 
James  Honan 

D.  N.  Hunt 


L.  C.  Jones 
N.  I.  Lowthian 

A.  J.  Luther  (w'd) 
John  Malachy 
John  McCall 
Orlando  McFall 

F.  M.  McReynolds 
J.  H.  Mead 

J.  B.  Miller 
Dennis  Morean  / 
Peter  Nisson 
Andrew  Peterson 
J.M.Rice 
Charles  A.  Rose 

B.  F.  Ross 
Edward  Roth 

C.  O.  Russell 
Isaac  Shortlidge 
Josiah  Weakly 

G.  H.  Wiggins 
J.  M.  Ybright 
James  Young 


RENVILLE  RANGERS. 
James  Gorman,  First  Lieutenant,   commanding. 

SERGEANTS. 

Theophyle  Richer  John  McCole 

Warren  Carey 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE. 


85 


Louis  Arner 


Eurgel  Amiot 
Joseph  Auge 
George  Bakerman 
Rocque  Berthiaume 
Edward  Bibeau 
John  Bourcier 
Pierre  Boyer 
Samuel  Brunelle 
David  Carpenter 
John  Campbell 
Jaire  Campbell 
Antone  Chose 
George  Dagenais 
Frederic  Denzer 
Henry  Denzer 
Alexis  Demerce 
Francois  Demerce 
Carlton  Dickinson 
James  Delaney 
Louis  Demeule 
Joseph  Fourtier 
B.  H.  Goodell 
In  addition  to  the 


CORPORALS. 

Dieudonne  Sylvester 
Roufer  Beurger 
PRIVATES. 

Richard  L.  Hoback 
George  A.  LaBatte 
Frederic  Le  Croix 
Cyprian  Le  Claire 
Joseph  La  Tour 
Medard  Laucier 
Joseph  Milard 
Moses  Mireau 
Theophile  Morin 
Charles  Mitchel 
A.  B.  Murch 
Joseph  Osier 
Henry  Pflaume 
Ernest  Paul 
Henry  Pierce 
Joseph  Pereau 
Thomas  Quinn 
Magloire  Robidoux 
Charles  Robert 
Joseph  Robinette 
Francois  Stay 
John  Wagner 
foregoing  troops  were:    John 


Jones,  Ordnance  Sergeant,  U.  S.  A. ;  Dr.  Alfred 
Muller,  Post  Surgeon,  and  Benjamin  H.  Randall, 
Suttler. 

The  organized  forces,  now,  in  the  Fort,  including 
the  disabled,  totalled  one  hundred  and  sixty  officers 
and  enlisted  men 


86  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

The  Renville  Rangers  were  recruited  for  service 
in  the  civil  war,  but  the  Sioux  Massacre  diverted 
their  organization,  and  following  the  surrender 
of  the  captives  at  Camp  Release,  the  company, 
after  rendering  three  months  of  service  for  which 
no  adequate  reward  was  or  ever  can  be  made,  be- 
came disintegrated,  the  men  enlisting  singly  in 
other  bodies  or  returning  to  civil  life. 

Out  of  the  agitated  mass  of  refugees  there  came 
to  the  surface  some  twenty-five  men  of  sterling 
worth,  to  whom  the  garrison,  in  its  day  of  need, 
was  under  unspeakable  obligations,  and  whose  valor 
and  general  usefulness  contributed  in  no  slight  de- 
gree to  the  successful  defense  of  the  Fort.  Among 
these  were  a  number  of  sturdy  Germans  from  the 
surrounding  settlements.  These,  with  the  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four  officers  and  men  enumerated 
above,  raised  the  Fort's  defenders  to  about  two 
hundred  men.  There  was  no  possibility  of  increas- 
ing thisstrength.  All  the  beleaguered  garrison  had 
dared  to  hope  for  had  now  been  vouchsafed  to  it. 
If  numbers  were  deficient,  there  must  be  the  greater 
dependence  on  valor  and  tact. 

Stationed  at  the  Fort  was  one  lone  representative 
of  the  regular  army,  in  the  person  of  Sergeant  John 
Jones,  whose  official  station  was  that  of  ordnance 
sergeant  of  the  post.  His  years  had  hardened  him 
to  ripeness  in  the  art  of  gunnery.  He  was  over- 
exacting  as  a  drill-master,  accepting  nothing  as 
good  enough  that  was  not  exactly  right.  During 
the  quiet  months  of  Co.  B  at  Fort  Ridgely,  artillery, 
as  well  as  infantry  drill,  was  taken  up,  perhaps  not 
so  much  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  men  as  to 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  87 

give  them  a  respite  from  the  manual-of-arms  prac- 
tice and  infantry  evolutions,  in  which  they  had  be- 
come very  proficient.  An  unexpected  emergency 
had  now  risen  in  the  Indian  uprising  to  put  at  its 
best  the  value  of  this  artillery  training  under  Jones, 
for  there  was  no  lack  of  gunners  when  the  artillery 
of  the  post  became  a  saving  factor.  Fortunately 
for  the  occasion  also,  was  the  fact  that  J.  C.  Whipple, 
who  had  successfully  escaped  to  the  Fort  from  the 
Redwood  Agency,  was  a  trained  artillerist,  having 
served  in  a  battery  during  the  Mexican  war. 

No  one  can  write  of  the  stirring  events  at  Fort 
Ridgely  during  the  latter  days  of  August,  1862, 
without  painfully  regreting  that  the  names  of  many 
men  who  took  refuge  at  the  Fort  during  the  mas- 
sacre, became  lost  to  history,  for  many  of  these 
unknown  men  from  unknown  walks  were  lion-heart- 
ed, and  willing  to  step  into  the  breach  and  hazard 
their  lives  without  a  murmur,  wherever  duty  called. 
Among  these  I  recall  a  Mr.  De  Camp,  *  whose 
Sharp's  carbine  became  familiar  music  to  the  de- 
fenders of  the  Fort.  Then  there  were  the  Riekes, 
brave  and  brawny  young  fellows,  and  others,  whose 
names  should  never  have  been  lost  to  history. 

An  eventful  day  closed  when  the  shadows  of 
night  on  the  19th  overwhelmed  all  in  darkness. 
The  garrison  had  known  no  sleep— no  rest  for 
thirty-six  hours;  but  the  strain  was  so  great,  the 
events  that  had  rapidly  succeeded  each  other  so 
important,  and  the  situation  was  so  pregnant  with 
grave  possibilities,  that  sleep  had  not  suggested 
Itself  as  a  necessity. 

*De  Camp  was  later  killed  at  the  battle  of  Birch  Coulie. 


88  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


Fort  Ridgely  Viciously  Attacked. 

Engagements  of  A  ugust  20  and  22. 
(Figures  in  parenthesis  in  following  pages  refer  to  plan  of  Fort  on  page  37.) 

On  the  arrival  of  the  detachment  of  Co.  C,  Tues- 
day morning,  First  Lieutenant  T.  J.  Sheehan  of  .that 
company,  by  seniority  of  rank,  became  commander 
of  Fort  Ridgfely.  If  nothing  could  be  gained  in 
courage  and  efficiency  in  such  a  change,  certainly 
nothing  was  lost.  Brave  and  resourceful,  vigilant 
and  aggressive,  the  garrison,  as  results  proved,  was 
ably  commanded.  Pickets  were  posted  for  the 
night,  and  every  precaution  taken  to  guard  against 
a  night  attack,  as  such  an  event  was  among  the 
reasonable  probabilities,  but  the  long  vigil  was  un- 
disturbed, and  the  sun  rose  on  the  morning  of  the 
20th  in  autumn  splendor,  with  its  message  of  good 
cheer.  No  news  came  from  the  outside  world,  and 
there  was  no  possible  means  of  communication. 
An  occasional  refugee  came  in,  the  number  of 
these  distressed  people  in  the  garrison  now  reach- 
ing fully  three  hundred. 

In  the  very  nature  of  things  the  Fort  could 
not  long  escape  attack.  Its  period  of  exemption 
had  already  exceeded  the*  limit  of  expectation ; 
but  there  was  no  occasion  for  disappointment 
or  even  for  any  impatience.  Scattering  bands 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  89 

of  Indians  disclosed  themselves  from  time  to  time 
during  the  morning  and  until  midday,  in  the  coun- 
try immediately  surrounding,  indicating  that  the 
savages  were  assembling  in  the  shelter  of  the 
wooded  valleys  that  headed  near  the  Fort  on 
three  sides.  Plainly  there  was  a  general  converg- 
ance  of  hostiles.  Just  when  the  attack  would 
be  launched  and  just  what  its  plan  would  be,  were 
conjectural  matters,  but  Lieutenant  Sheehan's  pre- 
paredness, to  the  limit  of  his  little  force,  was  for 
any  emergency,  and  wisely  did  he  distribute  his 
men  and  resources. 

The  reader  will  find  the  birdseye  plan  of  Fort 
Ridgely  and  surroundings  presented  in  this  con- 
nection, invaluable,  in  that  it  reveals  at  a  glance 
what  can  be  but  imperfectly  expressed  at  best  in 
words.  (See  page  37.) 

Having  completed  his  plans  and  dispositions, 
Little  Crow,  the  wily  chieftain  and  fearless  warrior, 
emerged  from  concealment  at  about  1  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  and  rode  out  into  the  open  beyond 
the  picket  line  to  the  westward  of  the  Fort,  and 
likewise  beyond  musket  range,  yet  near  enough 
to  be  recognized.  No  doubt,  understanding  the 
importance  of  his  capture,  he  believed  a  general 
rush  would  be  made  to  seize  him,  since  he  was  un- 
attended and  unsupported.  He  feigned  a  desire  for 
a  conference  with  the  officers  of  the  post,  but  de- 
clined with  sullen  indifference  the  invitation  of 
Sergeant  Bishop,  sergeant  of  the  guard  at  the  time* 
to  come  down  to  the  picket  line.  The  ruse  was 
shrewd,  and  the  play  of  the  foxy  warrior  dra- 
matic, but  Sheehan  was  not  to  be  tricked  by  Indian 


90  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

cunning:.  Seeing:  his  plan  had  failed,  the  mask  was 
thrown  off,  and  the  battle  opened  fiercely  by  the 
savages  under  cover  of  the  wooded  ravine  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  Fort,  which  extended  from 
Fort  Creek  to  within  a  few  rods  of  the  wooden 
buildings  north  of  the  barracks.  Little  Crow  had 
reasoned  wisely  when  he  planned  to  draw  the  at- 
tention of  the  garrison  from  the  point  at  which  he 
was  to  deliver  his  attack  on  the  post,  for  he  had 
massed  the  main  strength  of  his  force  at  the  near- 
est point  to  the  Fort,  and  in  the  onrush  which  was 
a  part  of  his  attack,  his  warriors  gained  possession 
of  the  outer  log:  building's  of  the  garrison. 

When  the  first  shot  was  fired  the  clarion  voice 
of  Lieutenant  Sheehan  rang  out,  in  ever-memorable 
tones :  "Every  man  to  his  post !"  The  challenge 
of  the  enemy  was  daringly  met,  and  the  savages 
having  disclosed  their  hand,  dispositions  were 
quickly  made  that  checked  with  a  round  turn  the 
dashing  assault  it  was  believed  would  prove  irre- 
sistible. Lieutenant  Gere  was  ordered  to  stay  the 
attack  with  a  detachment  from  Co.  B,  and  posting  a 
howitzer  under  J.  C.  Whipple,  which  he  supported 
under  a  galling  fire,  opened  with  shrapnell  at  short 
and  deadly  range.  Sergeant  McGrew,  conspicuous 
for  bravery  and  tact  throughout  the  siege,  support- 
ed by  a  detachment  from  Co.  C,  posted  a  howitzer 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  garrison,  and  open- 
ed vigorously  on  the  enemy  swarming  from  the 
wooded  shelter  to  the  northward;  but  impatient  to 
reach  the  persistent  force  with  which  Gere  and 
Whipple  were  hotly  contending,  and  which,  under 
shelter  of  the  hill,  was  perilously  near  the  Fort,  he 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  91 

ran  his  shotted  gun  into  the  open  to  the  northwest 
of  the  buildings,  and  with  an  enfilading  fire  swept 
the  slope  to  the  grass-roots,  calling  forth  a  furious 
volley  from  the  concealed  enemy,  but  driving  from 
the  slope  the  desperate  savages  who  were  deter- 
mined to  force  a  breach  in  the  defenses  at  the  point 
of  original  attack.  Nor  would  the  savages  abandon 
this  point,  though  swept  back  by  Whipple  and  Mc- 
Grew  and  their  supports,  aided  by  a  hot  fire  from 
the  windows  of  the  long  barracks  building.  This, 
it  had  been  well  reasoned  out,  owing  to  the  shelter 
afforded,  and  the  short  distance  the  protecting 
hill  and  its  brushwood  •  covering  from  the  Fort, 
was  the  vulnerable  spot  that  alone  held  out  hope  to 
Little  Crow's  forces  of  from  five  to  seven  hundred 
men.  The  savages  persisted  in  their  attack  on 
this  point,  but  Whipple,  with  Gere's  splendid  de- 
tachment, and  McGrew  and  his  resolute  supports, 
had,  by  dauntless  courage  and  skillful  tactics,  be- 
come masters  of  the  key,  driving  the  Indians  from 
the  wooden  buildings  they  had  daringly  gained,  and 
making  the  continued  near  approach  of  the  savages 
at  this  point  too  hazardous  to  be  persisted  in  at 
short  range. 

The  attack  had  gradually  extended  itself  well 
around  the  garrison,  seeking  a  point  of  vantage,  but 
the  defense  was  alert,  and  presented  an  unyielding 
front  at  every  turn. 

The  hot  musketry  and  cannonading  were  telling 
seriously  on  the  supply  of  ammunition  at  hand,  and 
it  was  found  necessary  during  the  fight  to  withdraw 
men  from  the  defenses  to  form  a  detail  for  the  re- 
moval of  all  ammunition  in  the  exposed  magazines 


92  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

(22)  to  the  stone  barracks  (1).  To  thwart  this 
movement  the  savages  must  expose  themselves  to 
the  raking  fire  of  McGrew's  howitzer,  that  officer 
having  been  ordered  to  cover  the  men  engaged  in 
the  toilsome  task  of  carrying  by  hand  the  heavy 
munitions  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards,  exposed 
to  the  missiles  of  the  savages,  happily  at  long  range. 
The  day  was  hot,  and  the  men  bending  to  their  tasks 
in  the  din  of  battle  and  as  conspicuous  targets, 
found  little  opportunity  to  mop  their  dust-besmear- 
ed and  perspiring  faces  during  the  hour  or  more 
required  to  complete  the  transfer  of  the  precious 
fixed  ammunition  to  more  available  quarters. 

His  men  unable  to  withstand  the  withering  fire 
that  from  the  start  had  been  poured  into  their  ranks 
at  the  north,  Little  Crow  executed  a  move  that 
might  have  been  successful  with  a  larger  force. 
Sheltering  conditions  favored  the  concentration  of 
a  large  force  of  the  enemy  at  the  south  and  south- 
west of  the  garrison.  This  move  was  executed 
under  the  personal  direction  of  Little  Crow,  who 
sought  by  a  bold  stroke  to  so  engage  the  forces  of 
Lieutenant  Sheehan  as  to  loosen  his  hold  on  the 
northeast  of  the  garrison,  where  the  chieftain  still 
hoped  to  enter  the  Fort.  The  din  of  cannon  and 
musket,  and  the  wild  shouts  of  the  desperate  and 
enraged  savages,  were  incessant  and  at  times  deaf- 
ening. 

Sergeant  Jones,  supported  by  Lieutenants  Culver 
and  Gorman  and  the  Renville  Rangers,  was  in 
position  at  the  southwest  angle  of  the  garrison,  and 
was  exposed  to  the  raking  fire  of  the  enemy.  Jones 
covered  the  ground  over  which  the  savages  must 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  93 

make  their  way  to  an  entrance,  with  a  six-pound 
field-piece.  Men  were  diverted  as  they  could  be 
spared  to  the  protection  of  the  scene  of  anticipated 
attack,  and  the  fray  was  hot  and  furious,  Jones' 
piece  working  havoc  in  the  ranks  of  the  savages, 
and  holding  the  force  in  abeyance,  while  the  Ren- 
ville  Rangers  and  other  forces  dealt  effective  vol- 
leys among  the  naked  demons,  making  their  repeat- 
ed efforts  at  a  sally  and  onrush  too  hazardous  for 
Sioux  courage. 

The  Indians  had  attacked  the  Fort  with  full  con- 
fidence in  their  ability  to  overpower  and  take  it. 
Little  Crow,  in  a  towering  rage,  urged  that  the 
Fort  must  be  taken.  It  was  the  door  which  closed 
the  Minnesota  valley  to  his  red-handed  followers, 
and  it  must  be  taken.  Nagged,  brow-beaten  and  ex- 
horted, his  warriors  returned  time  and  again  to  the 
task  set  for  them,  eager  for  the  flow  of  blood  and 
the  spoils  of  victory  awaiting  their  triumphant 
breaking  of  the  thin  line  of  defense,  but  they  could 
not  stem  the  storm  of  musketry  and  the  rain  of 
shells  that  hurled  them  back,  despite  their  frenzied 
efforts  to  force  a  hand-to-hand  struggle,  in  which 
they  felt  sure  of  overpowering  the  Fort's  defenders, 
by  their  vast  superiority  of  numbers. 

By  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  it  was  evident  they 
had  put  forth  their  supremest  effort,  and  had  failed 
to  force  a  break  at  any  point.  Their  disappoint- 
ment and  anger  found  vent  in  the  most  hideous 
yells  ever  uttered  by  savages.  They  fought  in  dis- 
order at  all  points,  and  then  would  concentrate  with 
an  energy  and  ferocity  entitling  them  to  first  place 
among  Indian  warriors.  And  so  the  battle  raged 


94  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

until  nightfall,  when  the  savages  withdrew  to  the 
depths  of  the  dark  valleys,  full  of  vengeance,  as 
their  defiant  yells  betokened,  but  worsted  in  the  hot 
game  of  war  for  the  day.* 

But  what  of  the  night?  This  was  the  serious 
problem.  The  officers  knew,  and  so  did  every  sol- 
dier in  the  garrison,  that  the  foe  was  not  vanquish- 
ed, and  that  he  would  return  again  to  the  attack. 

With  all  its  exposure,  the  true  American  soldier 
prefers  to  meet  his  enemy  in  the  open,  and  in  the 
light  of  day,  and  in  this  case,  with  his  greatly  in- 
ferior numerical  strength,  the  fear  of  a  night  attack 
produced  a  deeper  feeling  of  dread  than  was  gen- 
erally acknowledged.  But  the  enemy  retired  poor- 
ly rewarded  for  his  losses  and  his  rough  treatment 
generally,  and  silence  profound  reigned  where  for 
hours  the  din  of  battle  had  been  almost  deafening. 

The  silence  and  solitude  of  night  witnessed  no 
change  in  the  garrison,  save  that  in  killed  and 
wounded  we  had  lost  eleven  good  men.  The  men 

*A  few  errors  regarding  this  engagement  persist  in  repeating  themselves.  First, 
the  engagement  opened  at  not  later  than  I  p.  m.  of  Wednesday,  August  20th, 
1862.  Second,  the  garrison  was  in  no  sense  surprised  by  the  first  or  any  other 
attack.  Even  so  eminent  and  accurate  an  authority  as  Judge  Flandrau,  in  his  last 
and  most  interesting  work,  "The  History  of  Minnesota  and  Tales  of  the 
Frontier,"  page  148,  repeats  the  error  first  given  currency  in  Hurd't  History  of 
the  Sioux  Massacre,  to  the  effect  that  the  engagement  began  at  3  p,  m.,  and 
that  the  garrison  was  taken  completely  by  surprise,  "the  first  knowledge  of  the 
presence  of  Indians  being  the  firing  of  a  volley  by  the  savages  through  an  open- 
ing between  the  building*."  Pickets  were  posted  well  out  from  the  garrison, 
rendering  a  surprise  impossible.  The  first  shots  in  defense  of  the  Fort  were 
fired  from  the  picket  line.  The  precautions  of  the  garrison  were  such  that  there 
could  have  been  a  surprise  at  no  time,  day  or  night,  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  the  siege,  covering  a  period  of  nearly  ten  days.  Third,  there  was  no 
attack  at  any  time  on  the  Fort  during  Thursday.  August  21st. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  95 

about  the  guns  and  the  force  that  had  manned  the 
windows  of  the  barracks  and  other  buildings  and 
openings,  remained  watchfully  where  they  had 
fought.  The  artillery  strength  of  the  garrison  was 
increased,  Sergeant  Bishop  being  placed  in  charge 
of  a  twelve-pounder  field-piece,  efficiently  manned, 
for  action.  Every  precaution  having  been  taken  by 
the  alert  Sheehan,  with  vigilance  everywhere  im- 
pressed, the  men,  weary  and  worn,  settled  down  to 
a  sleepless  night. 

Undeservedly  brief  has  history  dealt  with  the 
Renville  Rangers,  for  no  men  during  the  massacre 
were  put  to  so  rigid  a  test  as  they.  The  company 
was  very  largely  made  up  of  French  half-breeds, 
who  were  born  among,  had  lived  with  and  were 
related  to,  the  very  Indians  who  had  risen  to  de- 
populate and  make  desolate  the  Minnesota  frontier. 
With  a  single  exception  these  men  were  loyal  to 
every  trust  reposed  in  them,  and  no  braver  soldiers 
than  they  had  proven  themselves  to  be  in  the  day's 
battle,  ever  went  into  action.  It  was  one  of  these 
men,  Joseph  Osier,  who  fired  the  first  shot  from  the 
garrison  at  the  opening  of  the  engagement.  Anoth- 
er, Geo.  Dagenais,  brave  and  athletic,  dashed  into 
the  open  and  ran  to  one  of  the  log  buildings,  of 
which,  during  the  engagement,  the  Indians  had 
taken  possession,  and  firing  through  a  crack  be- 
tween two  logs,  got  his  man,  and  running  back  to 
the  barracks  amid  a  shower  of  bullets,  leaped  into 
the  building  at  an  opening  with  the  exultant :  "I 
kill  him  one,  I  kill  him  one." 

Little  Crow  was  born  on  the  banks  of  the  upper 
Mississippi,  and  spent  his  childhood,  and  even  early 


96  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

manhood,  in  the  valley  where  Winona,  Wabasha, 
Red  Wins  and  other  Minnesota  towns  and  cities 
now  flourish.  For  natural  beauty  the  scenes  of  this 
noted  Indian's  early  life  stand  almost  unrivaled. 
The  lofty,  majestic  hills,  the  beautiful  valley  itself, 
and  the  great  river  of  unsurpassed  grandeur,  had 
become  a  part  of  the  very  being  of  this  haughty 
savage.  Driven  from  the  valley  that  civilization 
might  expand  its  borders,  and  knowing,  too,  that  the 
pristine  beauty  of  the  country  (which  was  all  to 
him)  had  been  marred  and  desecrated  by  the  white 
settler,  still  the  heart  of  Little  Crow  never  ceased 
to  yearn  for  the  land  of  his  childhood,  and  the  hope 
had  ever  lingered  that  some  day,  by  some  fortuitous 
stroke,  this  land  might  yet  be  restored  to  those  who 
for  ages  held  it  by  prowess  and  sacrifice.  It  was 
the  land  where  his  wild,  roving  nature  had  known 
all  there  was  in  youthful  happiness — the  land  where 
the  ashes  of  his  ancestors  were  scattered. 

Prof.  A.  W.  Williamson,  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  professor  of  mathematics  of  Augustana 
college,  Rock  Island,  111.,  a  member  of  Captain 
Marsh's  company  (B)  stationed  at  Fort  Ridgely  at 
the  time  of  the  Sioux  Massacre,  who  was  a  son  of 
the  noted  Sioux  Missionary,  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas 
Williamson,  and  who  was  born  at  Lac  qui  Parle  in 
1836,  and  therefore  thus  knew  from  contact,  per- 
sonally, intimately,  more  of  Indian  history  and 
character  than  is  given  to  many  men  to  know,  stat- 
ed to  the  writer  but  recently  that  through  Indian 
sources  he  was  advised  at  Fort  Ridgely  that  agents 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy  were  at  work  among 
the  Sioux  about  the  time  of  and  immediately  pre- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  97 

ceding1  the  outbreak,  in  an  endeavor  to  impress  up- 
on the  Indians  the  fact  that  the  whole  northern 
country  was  hard  pressed  in  the  civil  war ;  that  the 
men  had  all  been  impressed  into  the  military  ser- 
vice, leaving  only  a  few  soldiers  to  guard  the  fron- 
tier;  that  this  was  the  supreme  time  for  an  upris- 
ing, and  the  driving  of  the  whites  back  from  the 
land  of  the  savages.  Prof.  Williamson,  then  a  young 
private  of  Co.  B,  thought  the  report  of  so  little  im- 
portance that  he  did  not  recall  that  he  ever  dis- 
cussed it  with  any  one ;  and  while  he  never  be- 
lieved the  rumor  to  have  been  well  founded,  its 
source  was  such,  and  it  was  so  consistent  with  pos- 
sibilities, withal,  that  the  story  had  never  ceased  to 
impress  him. 

Whatever  the  truth,  it  is  well  known  that  Little 
Crow  believed  that  Fort  Ridgely  swept  from  his 
path  he  would  over-run  and  repossess  the  country  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Minnesota  River,  if  not  beyond. 
What  impressed  him  with  this  belief  will  never  be 
definitely  known,  but  that  he  possessed  it,  is  beyond 
doubt.  The  dream  of  childhood  days  and  of  youth- 
ful haunts,  and  the  promise  of  some  mysterious  in- 
fluence held  out  to  the  war-chief  that  somehow,  some 
day  he  would  lead  his  people  to  the  home  of  the 
olden  time,  were  influential  factors  in  determining 
his  action  when,  roused  from  slumber  on  the  morn- 
ing of  August  18th  he  sat  upon  his  couch,  his  blan- 
ket drawn  about  his  shoulders,  and  heard  the  de- 
mand of  his  people  that  he  should  lead  them  in  a 
war  against  the  whites.  Impelled  alone  by  mental 
agitation,  great  beads  of  perspiration  gathered  on 
the  forehead  of  Little  Crow,  and  coursed  down  his 


98  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

face.  He  struggled  with  his  decision,  and  relying 
on  the  hope  of  far-reaching  results,  gave  his  con* 
sent. 

The  die  having  been  cast,  the  famous  war-chief 
was  from  the  outset  determined  upon  a  full  realiz- 
ation of  his  hopes,  not  to  be  enjoyed  with  Fort 
Ridgely  in  his  path. 

At  midnight  of  the  20th  a  dreary  rain  set  in,  add- 
ing not  only  gloom,  but  discomfort  to  the  situation. 
The  resulting  darkness  was  utterly  impenetrable 
for  even  the  distance  of  a  few  feet,  and  amid  these 
conditions  there  came  a  wailing  sound  from  out  on 
the  prairie,  startling  in  its  possibilities,  as  some  of 
the  pickets  had  smelled  the  burning  of  kin-nic-kinic 
earlier  in  the  night — a  sure  sign  that  Indians  were 
near.  If  words  were  uttered  they  were  unintelligi- 
ble to  any  one  who  heard  them.  The  wail  was  re- 
peated, and  believing  it  the  ruse  of  savages  to  at- 
tract attention  from  a  movement  against  the  garri- 
son, Lieutenant  Sheehan  ordered  Sergeant  McGrew 
to  fire  a  shot  from  his  howitzer  in  the  direction 
from  which  the  sound  came,  so  aiming  his  piece  as 
to  injure  no  distressed  refugee,  and  yet  to  develop 
if  possible,  the  meaning  of  the  cry.  Still  the  sound 
came  as  before.  Sheehan  now  ordered  a  detach- 
ment of  soldiers  to  proceed  to  the  spot  whence 
came  the  wailing,  and  the  men  soon  found,  groping 
in  the  gloomy  darkness,  a  frenzied  woman,  lost,  ex- 
hausted and  crazed  with  grief  and  fear,  and  whose 
harrowing  story  and  frightful  experiences  were 
sensational  in  the  extreme. 

No  other  incident  disturbed  the  night.  Lower- 
ing skies  marked  the  morning  of  the  21st,  but  the 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  99 

day  passed  uneventfully.  A  large  body  of  Indians 
came  within  plain  view  of  the  Fort,  and  their  pres- 
ence was  regarded  ominously.  They  moved  by 
and  entered  the  Minnesota  valley  a  mile  below  the 
Fort,  however,  and  passed  down,  as  was  later  known, 
to  attack  New  Ulm.  Advantage  was  taken  of  the 
lull  on  the  21st  to  construct  a  protecting  barricade 
for  Jones,  his  gunners  and  supports. 


ATTACK     OF    AUGUST    22. 

Friday  morning,  August  22nd,  after  the  fourth 
night  of  sleepless  vigil,  the  sun  rose  in  splendor, 
its  welcome  rays  dispelling  the  gloom  of  cloud  and 
darkness,  and  cheering  the  souls  of  men  who  were 
under  a  strain  severely  testing  their  endurance, 
and  who,  though  prone  to  cheerfulness,  gave  evi- 
dence of  the  mental  and  physical  wear  to  which 
they  were  subjected,  and  from  which  lack  of  num- 
bers forbade  any  relief.  Except  throughout  the 
hours  of  darkness,  there  were  few  intervals  during 
which  the  menacing  presence  of  Indians,  some- 
where within  the  scope  of  vision,  did  not  impress 
all  with  the  necessity  of  preparedness. 

As  the  morning  hours  advanced,  portentious  signs 
of  attack  mainfested  themselves,  for  the  savages 
were  clearly  massing  under  cover  of  the  surround- 
ing wooded  valleys.  This  movement  went  on 
throughout  the  forenoon,  and  it  was  evident  Little 
Crow  had  vastly  increased  his  numbers  for  this 
attack. 

Shortly  after  noon  the  hellish  legion  left  its  cover 
and  came  quickly  to  its  work,  accompanying  its 
approach  with  yells,  such  as  only  those  who  have 


100  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

heard  them  can  appreciate  or  understand.  The 
numbers  were  three  times  those  of  Wednesday's 
attack,  and  the  plan  was  clearly  to  intimidate  by 
boldness  and  fierceness  of  onslought  from  all  sides, 
with  a  hope  of  breaking  the  defenses  at  some  vul- 
nerable point,  then  to  complete  the  work  with 
overwhelming:  force.  For  a  time  it  seemed  the  tide, 
constantly  augmented  from  the  sheltering  woods, 
and  ravines,  must  prove  irresistible,  but  the  ring- 
ing blasts  of  Whipple's  and  McGrew's  guns,  and 
their  supports,  as  in  the  first  day's  fight,  staggered 
the  savages,  and  swept  them  back  in  spite  of  their 
numbers,  the  men,  posted  identically  as  before, 
having  made  the  defense  of  the  ground  with  which 
they  had  become  thoroughly  familiar,  a  matter  of 
scientific  marksmanship. 

Everywhere  on  the  prairie  were  creeping  savages 
whose  heads  were  wreathed  in  turbans  of  grass  and 
wild  flowers  of  the  prairie,  the  better  to  conceal 
their  movements  in  seeking  vantage  ground  from 
which  to  pour  their  terrible  fire  upon  the  garrison. 
Not  only  bullets,  but  the  primitive  arrow  came  in 
great  numbers,  and  with  furious  impulse.  With 
the  latter  it  was  sought  to  fire  the  buildings  of  the 
Fort,  burning  punk  being  affixed  to  arrow  points 
that  were  fired  into  many  roofs,  but  the  rains  that 
had  discomfited  the  garrison  now  proved  to  have 
been  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  had  the  roofs  been 
thoroughly  dry,  a  condition  would  have  resulted 
more  dreadful  than  the  bullets  of  the  savages  could 
create. 

Great  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  on  the  south- 
southwest  of  the  garrison.  The  long  government 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  101 

barn  to  the  south  (3)  and  the  suttler  store  (20)  to 
the  southwest,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  from, 
inability  to  extend  a  line  for  their  protection.  These 
building's  afforded  shelter  to  the  savages  who  were 
to  change  their  plan  of  battle  by  making  a  furious 
attack,  to  be  followed  by  an  assault  on  the  south- 
west angle  of  the  Fort.  McGrew  was  ordered  to 
throw  a  shell  into  the  suttler  store  for  the  purpose 
of  firing  it,  and  in  this  was  successful  with  his 
second  shot.  The  savages  themselves  about  this 
time  fired  the  barn.  In  furtherance  of  Little  Crow's 
desperate  attempt  on  the  south-southwest  of  the 
garrison,  the  persistent  force  at  the  north-northeast 
which  up  to  this  time  (about  4  o'clock  p.  m.,)  wag- 
ed an  incessant  fire,  was  largely  withdrawn  out 
across  the  open  country,  to  the  north,  to  the  head 
of  a  wooded  ravine  (23)  leading  from  a  point  half 
a  mile  west  of  the  northwest  angle  of  the  Fort,  in 
a  southerly  direction  to  the  Minnesota  river.  Down 
this  wooded  ravine  hundreds  of  warriors  passed  to 
join  forces  with  those  massing  for  a  superhuman 
effort  upon  the  southwest  angle  (12),  which,  though 
the  savages  must  subject  themselves  to  far  greater 
exposure  here  than  at  the  northeast,  was  itself  the 
weak  spot  of  the  garrison  for  lack  of  needed  shelter. 
McGrew  passing  down  to  the  position  of  Jones,  at 
the  southwest  angle,  Jones  being  in  charge  of 
the  post  ordnance,  conferred  with  that  officer  with 
regard  to  the  movement  of  the  savages  on  the  west, 
and  asked  permission  to  use  the  24-pound  field-piece 
then  in  park,  for  the  purpose  of  dropping  a  shell 
into  the  wooded  valley  to  the  west,  in  the  supposed 
region  of  the  savages.  The  result  was  far  more 


102  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

fruitful  of  benefit  than  was  anticipated.  A  second 
shell  fell  into  the  camp  of  the  savages  where  the 
squaws,  papooses,  dogs  and  ponies  were  in  hiding, 
and  at  which  place  the  deflecting  savages  had,  in 
their  passage,  congregated  for  a  brief  halt.  The 
detonations  of  the  exploding  shell  were  alone  terri- 
fying (as  light  ordnance  was  used  in  the  short-range 
engagement  that  had  ensued  for  hours), but  the  de- 
structive effects  of  the  shell  were  also  serious  in 
the  extreme,  and  produced  surprise  and  conster- 
nation among  the  Indians.  The  experiment  was  re- 
peated, with  a  sweeping  range,  to  excellent  advan- 
tage. Undaunted  however,  and  bent  upon  his  one 
determination  to  take  the  Fort,  Little  Crow  concen- 
trated his  principal  force  at  the  southwest.  Jones 
and  his  support,  the  Renville  Rangers,  were  under 
a  merciless  fire  from  the  savages,  who  had  pressed 
forward  to  so  short  a  range  as  to  literally  perforate 
every  foot  of  exposure  of  the  barricade  and  head- 
quarters building  (3),  but  this  fire  was  heroically 
returned,  and  with  telling  effect.  The  fusillade  had 
become  general  about  the  garrison  again,  as  the 
preliminary  step  to  an  assault  at  the  southwest,  and 
when  the  musketry  of  the  savages  had  reached  a 
furious  stage,  Little  Crow  ordered  his  men  to  club 
their  guns  and  rush  in.  This  order  the  half-breeds 
of  the  Renville  Rangers  plainly  heard  and  communi- 
cated to  their  officers.  This  was  the  most  critical 
moment  the  garrison  had  experienced.  A  charge 
of  the  overwhelming  numbers  would  have  been  ir- 
resistible. 

To  stagger  the  enemy  at  this  supreme  juncture 
was  the  only  hope  of  the  garrison.  Jones  had  double- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  103 

shotted  his  gun  with  canister,  and  bravely  hazard- 
ing his  life  in  the  act,  dealt  a  withering  blow  to  the 
massed  foe  at  short  range,  at  the  crucial  moment, 
mowing:  a  swath  down  through  their  ranks  that  sent 
terror  to  their  hearts  as  they  were  in  the  act  of 
leaping,  like  wild  beasts  to  the  charge.  The  Ren- 
ville  Rangers  followed  with  a  galling  volley  and  a 
challenge  in  the  Sioux  language,  hurled  defiantly : 
4 'Come  on ;  we  are  ready  for  you !" 

Bishop  had  used  his  gun  to  good  effect  at  the 
southeast,  and  the  garrison  now  rose  supremely  to 
the  occasion  and  dealt  its  telling  blows  fast  and 
and  furious.  The  savages  hesitated,  wavered  and 
recoiled,  and  though  they  fought  on  until  night, 
could  not  again  be  nerved  to  the  point  of  charging. 

But  the  garrison  had  reached  its  last  desperate 
extremity.  It  was  on  the  brink  of  collapse  through 
exhaustion  of  its  supply  of  ammunition  for  the  small 
arms  of  the  men  who  had  fought  so  gallantly.  The 
guns  in  use  were  all  muzzle-loading.  There  was 
powder  available  by  opening  spherical  case  shot, 
and  fortunately  caps  for  exploding  it,  but  there 
were  neither  bullets  nor  lead  of  which  to  make 
them.  Human  resource  was  put  to  its  test.  The 
limited  supply  of  small  iron  rods  in  the  Government 
blacksmith  shop  was  resorted  to,  with  which  to 
prolong  the  struggle  until  all  possible  means  of  re- 
sistance should  cease.  These  .rods  of  iron  were 
cut  into  slugs  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
and  a  corps  of  nimble-fingered  workers  under  the 
direction  of  Mrs.  Dr.  Muller  set  to  manufacturing 
cartridges.  With  these  (and  their  whistling  chal- 
lenge was  terrifying,)  the  fight  was  continued  until, 


104  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

as  night   closed  in,  the  savages  withdrew,  with  a 
howl  of  rage,  but  fairly  vanquished. 

But  had  the  attack  been  prolonged,  or  had  the 
foe  returned  to  renew  it,  the  garrison  must  inevit- 
ably have  been  lost. 

No  mind  can  justly  conceive  of,  or  pen  faithfully 
describe,  the  mental  and  physical  strain  endured 
from  this  hour  on  by  the  garrison — a  strain  that 
burned  as  by  a  living  fire,  its  burden  into  every 
soul.  No  sign  of  response  had  been  made  to  the 
call  of  the  18th  for  assistance  from  Fort  Snelling 
and  St.  Paul.  The  world  without  was  dead  to  the 
beleaguered  Fort.  Surrounded,  menaced  and  har^ 
rassed  by  a  desperate  foe,  all  communication  was 
extinct  beyond  the  picket-lines.  The  officers  and 
men  had  fought  valiantly,  and  while  their  ranks 
were  being  gradually  depleted,  they  would  still  bid 
haughty  defiance  to  the  hosts  of  the  Dakota  chief- 
tain; but  the  exhaustion  of  their  ammunition,  ex- 
cept for  ordnance,  had  reduced  them  to  the  last 
straits  of  desperation.  Under  cover  of  night  they 
could  take  the  risk  of  fighting  their  way  to  safety 
down  the  Minnesota  valley,  but  they  could  not 
abandon,  neither  could  they  take  along,  their  burden 
of  three  hundred  helpless  refugees.  If  these  must 
perish,  then  the  soldiers  must  perish  with  them — 
must  be  the  first  to  fall  before  the  club  and  the 
knife,  for  the  final  struggle  must  be  hand-to-hand. 
This  was  the  firm  resolution  of  the  gallant  men  who 
had  repelled  heroically  the  savage  foe  whose  hands 
were  reeking  with  blood,  and  who  placed  the  taking 
of  Fort  Ridgely  above  every  other  ambition. 

The  garrison  could  not  know,  unfortunately,  that 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  105 

Little  Crow's  retreat  into  the  dark  valley  as  the 
sable  mantle  of  night  enveloped  his  vanquished 
host,  signalized  his  departure  from  the  Fort  forever. 
Unfortunately  it  could  not  know  this,  I  say.  In- 
stead of  relaxing,  vigil  must  now,  if  possible,  be 
greater  than  before,  with  the  defense  of  the  Fort 
depending  upon  the  cannon,  the  half-dozen  rounds 
of  slug-iron  cartridges  per  man,  and  the  bayonet. 

And  so  the  strain,  testing  man's  ability  to  retain 
his  reason,  continued  for  still  four  and  a  half  days 
longer,  or  for  a  total  of  nine  days. 

At  last,  on  the  morning  of  August  27th,  unherald- 
ed, Col.  Samuel  McPhail  and  William  R.  Marshall 
rode  into  the  garrison  at  the  head  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy-five  mounted  citizen -soldiers,  and  the 
long  siege  was  raised,  the  reinforcements  coming 
from  St.  Peter  under  cover  of  night,  and  thus  escap- 
ing detection  or  attack.  * 

The  defenders  of  the  garrison,  who  had  borne  up 
for  days  from  sheer  force  of  will,  and  who  were 
now  relieved  from  the  great  and  long-endured  strain, 
had  not  realized  their  utterly  jaded  condition  until 
their  burdens  were  assumed  by  those  who  brought 
relief,  and  they  soon  gave  way  to  the  restful  stupor 
that  stole  like  a  dream  over  their  exhausted  senses,  t 

*  I  have  searched  unavailingly  (or  the  names  of  the  men  who  raised  the  siege, 
(or  they  are  worthy  o(  perpetuation  in  these  pages. 

t  Captain  Gere,  (a  lieutenant  during  the  siege,  of  Fort  Ridgely)  concluding  an 
account  of  the  long  siege,  has  said :  "It  was  a  battle  on  the  part  of  the  garri- 
son to  prevent  a  charge  by  the  savages,  which,  had  it  been  made,  could  hardly 
have  failed,  as  Little  Crow  seemed  confident,  to  result  in  the  destruction  of  the 
garrison  and  the  consequent  horrible  massacre  of  its  300  refugees.  It  is  but 
truth  to  add  that  no  man  in  the  garrison  failed  to  do  his  duty,  and  that,  worn 


106  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Fort  Ridgely  Never  Surprised  By  the  Sioux. 

Once  for  all,  let  it  be  forever  known  that  Fort 
Ridgely  was  never  surprised  by  the  Sioux.  Many 
writers,  taking:  their  cue  from  some  sensationally- 
inclined  word-painter  of  the  early  day,  have  pic- 
tured Little  Crow's  dashing  demons  in  the  act  of 
taking  the  Fort  unawares.  To  the  credit  of  the 
vigilance  of  the  officers  and  men,  there  was  never 
a  moment  from  the  day  of  the  beginning  of  the 
Massacre  at  the  Redwood  Agency  up  to  the  end  of 
the  exciting  and  perilous  ten  days*  siege,  when  the 
savages  could  have  surprised  Fort  Ridgely.  Pickets 
were  at  all  times  posted  and  a  close  watch  kept  up- 
on the  movements  of  the  enemy.  Little  Crow  at 
one  time  sought  to  draw  the  forces  from  the  Fort 
by  a  ruse  shrewdly  conceived,  and  in  event  of  suc- 
cess there  would  have  been  a  possible  surprise  from 
the  opposite  side  of  the  garrison,  but  because  of 
vigilance  and  of  the  well-known  treachery  of  the 
Sioux,  no  opportunity  for  surprise  was  for  a  moment 
given.  The  attacks  upon  the  Fort  were  no  doubt 
intended  by  the  Indians  as  surprises,  insofar  as  they 
could  make  them  such  from  the  sheltering  woods 
and  ravines  surrounding  the  Fort  except  on  the  nor- 
thern exposure,  but  they  were  in  no  measure  sur- 
prises in  the  sense  of  taking  the  Fort  unawares/ 

by  fatigue  and  suspense,  and  exhausted  by  loss  of  sleep,  to  the  end  every  man 
was  at  his  post,  bravely  meeting  whatever  danger  confronted  him.  The  con- 
spicuous gallantry  of  the  artillerists  was  the  theme  of  general  praise,  and  the 
great  value  of  their  services  was  conceded  by  all,  while  the  active  and  intelli- 
gent support  that  rendered  their  work  possible,  is  entitled  to  no  less  credit.  * 
While  the  withdrawal  of  the  Indians  on  the  22nd  terminated  the  fighting  at  Fort 
Ridgely,  the  weary  garrison  could  not  be  aware  that  such  would  be  the  case, 
nor  for  a  moment  relax  its  vigilance ;  hence  the  forces  continued  to  occupy  the 
positions  to  which  they  had  by  this  time  become  accustomed." 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  107 


Daring  Service  of  Messengers  Sturgis  and 

McLain. 

In  all  that  has  ever  been  written  of  Fort  Ridge- 
ly's  part  in  the  Sioux  Massacre,  no  account  has 
heretofore  been  published  of  the  wild  ride  of  the 
man  who  bore  the  dispatches  from  Lieutenant 
Thomas  P.  Gere,  commandant  at  Fort  Ridgely  on 
August  18,  1862,  to  Governor  Alexander  Ramsey  at 
St.  Paul,  announcing:  the  outbreak  of  the  Sioux  at 
the  Redwood  Agency,  the  disaster  to  Marsh  and  his 
detachment  the  afternoon  of  that  day  at  Redwood 
ferry,  and  the  terrible  deeds  already  being:  com- 
mitted in  the  surrounding  settlements.  At  the  close 
of  the  civil  war  William  J.  Sturgis,  the  young  soldier 
who  made  the  ride  for  the  life  of  the  frontier,  dis- 
appeared into  the  sea  of  civil  life  to  work  out  the 
problems  the  future  held  for  each  soldier  whose 
calling  had  been  happily  changed  at  Appomattox. 
Sturgis'  famous  ride  was  a  mere  incident  in  that 
day  of  great  deeds  and  great  achievements,  and 
was  scarcely  thought  of,  and  he  finally  drifted  to 
the  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where  he  rare- 
ly if  ever  met  a  comrade  of  his  immediate  service 
in  the  army.  He  was  not  given  to  writing  for  the 
press,  and  having  taken  up  farming,  lived  a  com- 
paratively retired  life.  When  the  writer  assumed 
the  labor  of  gathering  the  scattered  fragments  of 
history  that  should  be  preserved  to  Minnesota  an- 


108  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

nals,  he  searched  widely  for  each  surviving  member 
of  the  original  Company  B  of  the  Fifth  Regiment, 
then  only  a  dozen  or  so  in  number.  This  work 
covered  a  period  of  two  years  before  the  last  man 
was  found.  Locating  Sturgis,  he  was  importuned 
for  the  story  of  his  ride,  but  while  he  said  the  inci- 
dents of  it  were  as  fresh  in  his  mind  as  at  the  time 
of  his  flight  in  the  blackness  of  that  August  night, 
still  he  would  have  to  await  a  period  of  leisure  in 
which  to  take  the  matter  up.  Sturgis  was  now 
seventy-two  years  old,  and  as  time  was  so  rapidly 
depleting  our  ranks,  and  as  much  had  already  been 
lost  by  no  effort  having  been  made  to  preserve  many 
incidents  of  value,  a  compliance  with  the  request 
from  Sturgis  was  insisted  upon,  and  on  the  4th  day 
of  January,  1908,  he  wrote  a  personal  letter  in  which 
he  told  to  me  his  story,  and  while  he  was  in  his 
accustomed  health  at  this  time,  death  called  him  a 
month  later. 

Greater  stress  of  circumstances  rarely  falls  to 
human  lot  than  hovered  over  Fort  Ridgely  on  the 
night  of  August  18.  As  darkness  set  in  at  the  close 
of  that  day,  Lieutenant  Gere,  a  boy  of  twenty  years, 
found  himself  charged  with  the  gravest  of  respon- 
sibilities. He  had  but  twenty-four  effective  men, 
all  told.  Capt.  Marsh  had  depleted  the  garrison 
when  he  marched  out  in  the  forenoon  with  the  forty- 
six  men,  destined  to  the  Redwood  Ferry.  Helpless 
refugees  had  poured  into  the  Fort  all  day,  many 
mangled  and  bleeding,  others  half-naked  and  dis- 
tracted with  fear  and  grief,  while  it  was  known  the 
work  of  carnage  was  rapidly  spreading  in  the  sur- 
rounding settlements.  Great  hopes  were  buttress- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  109 

ed  upon  Marsh's  safe  and  speedy  return  with  his 
precious  detachment.  Darkness  brought  increased 
anxiety.  Except  in  the  quarters  where  the  refugees 
were  housed,  a  death-like  stillness  reigned  through- 
out the  garrison,— waiting,  waiting  in  suspense. 
The  crickets,  on  that  summer  night,  were  the  only 
cheerful  companions  of  the  pickets,  posted  by  Lieu- 
tenant Gere  in  person  to  make  assurance  of  proper 
dispositions  doubly  sure.  The  gathering  pall  of 
night  had  overwhelmed  the  anxious,  expectant  gar- 
rison, when  an  alarm  came  from  the  southwestern 
angle  of  the  sparsely  guarded  picket  line,  and  now 
came  the  staggering  news  that  Marsh  was  dead, 
and  that  Interpreter  Quinn  and  half  the  noble  de- 
tachment of  forty-six  men  had  been  ambushed  and 
killed  at  the  Redwood  Ferry.  Privates  William  B. 
Hutchinson  and  James  Dunn,  who  were  of  the  de- 
tachment and  who,  with  Sergeant  Bishop  and  eleven 
others  under  him,  had  escaped  with  their  lives,  and 
were  on  there  way  to  the  Fort,  were  sent  ahead  by 
Bishop  when  within  a  few  miles  of  the  post  to  ap- 
prise the  garrison  of  the  disaster,  Bishop's  progress 
being  impeded  by  the  fact  that  his  men  were  oblig- 
ed to  carry  a  badly  wounded  comrade,  Ole  Svendson. 
The  news  was  horrifying,  and  the  bloody  work 
had  but  just  commenced.  Unmoved  by  the  terrible 
blow  that  came  with  the  news  of  the  day's  disaster, 
or  by  the  perilous  predicament  in  which  he  found 
himself  and  those  under  him  in  pitiable  numbers, 
the  boy  officer  wrote  dispatches  to  Governor  Alex- 
ander Ramsey  at  St.  Paul,  the  commandant  at  Fort 
Snelling,  and  incidentally  to  Lieutenant  Culver,  ac- 
companied by  Indian  Agent  Galbraith,  Lieutenant 


110  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Gorman  and  Sergeant  McGrew,  then  at  St.  Peter, 
apprising:  all  of  the  predicament,  and  calling  for 
assistance. 

Private  William  J.  Sturgis  was  asked  to  impress  for 
his  use  the  best  horse  in  the  garrison,  and  to  bear 
away  these  dispatches  in  all  haste,  with  St.  Paul 
as  his  destination.  Responding  like  a  true  soldier, 
Sturgis  received  his  dispatches,  swung  into  the 
saddle,  and  plunged  away  in  the  darkness  at  a  wild 
pace.  Down  through  the  dark  valley,  and  out  on 
the  highlands  beyond  Fort  Creek,  and  away  he  sped. 
His  horse  was  one  driven  into  the  Fort  during  the 
day  attached  to  the  St.  Peter  stage  (the  stage  that 
brought  the  71,000  in  gold  to  the  Fort.)  The  animal 
was  thus  familiar  with  the  road,  and  headed  home- 
ward, but  twelve  miles  of  flight  had  completely  ex- 
hausted him. 

Overtaking  a  peddler  flying  for  his  life,  Sturgis  dis- 
mounted and  joined  him,  the  peddler  having  a  good 
team.  The  tidings  from  the  Fort  put  new  fear  into 
the  soul  of  the  tradesman,  and  his  efforts  were  re- 
doubled. The  peddler  was  making  for  Henderson, 
while  owing  to  dispatches  that  must  be  delivered 
at  that  place,  Sturgis  must  reach  St.  Peter  on  his 
journey.  The  men  separated  after  an  exciting  ride 
of  ten  miles,  each  going  his  way.  Sturgis  remem- 
bered that  there  was  a  settler's  house  at  this  point, 
where  our  company,  on  its  march  to  Fort  Ridgely 
several  months  previously,  had  halted  to  rest  and 
lunch.  He  was  thus  enabled  to  easily  find  the  house, 
and  pounding  upon  the  door  soon  brought  forth  from 
his  bed  a  dazed  settler,  for  the  disturbance  was  at 
the  dead  of  night.  Sturgis  assured  the  settler  of 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  Ill 


the  frightful  conditions  above,  and  demanded 
he  be  taken  to  St.  Peter  with  all  possible  haste. 
The  thoroughly  aroused  and  frightened  man  re- 
sponded with  energy,  and  soon  the  dispatch-bearer 
was  being  hurried  pelliiiell  over  roads'  none  too  good 
at  best,  and  none  too  visible  at  night. 

On,  on,  did  the  messenger  urge  the  speeding  of 
horses,  restive  under  his  grave  responsibility  that 
had  to  do  with  human  life.  Too  well,  knew  he,  that 
the  breaking  dawn  would  prove  the  signal  to  the 
crazed  Sioux  for  extended  scenes  of  carnage.  Too 
well  knew  he,  that  unsuspecting  settlers  were  dream- 
ing, in  ignorance  of  the  butchery  that  would  mark 
their  homes  ere  the  drowse  of  slumber  had  releas- 
ed them.  Every  fibre  of  his  body  was  tense.  -Every 
faculty  of  his  nature  was  alert. 

Aurora's  first  delicate  shades  were  faintly  gather- 
ing along  the  eastern  horizon  as  Sturgis  entered  St. 
Peter,  at  a  few  minutes  past  3  o'clock  on  the  morn- 
ing of  Tuesday,  August'  19. 

Unbelievable  rumors  had  preceded  him,  and  while 
they  were  traceable  to  no  authentic  source,  they 
had  been  sufficiently  sensational  to  keep  St.  Peter 
awake  and  in  a  state  of  frenzy  all  night.  Among 
prominent  citizens  of  the  place,  Sturgis  found  Lieut. 
Culver,  Sergeant  McGfew,  Lieut.  Gorman  and  Major 
Galbraith  up  and  anxiously  awaiting  tidings  from 
the  north.  Recognizing  the  young  dispatch-bearer, 
and  knowing  that  his  presence  among  them  was  of 
the  gravest  importance,  he  was  quickly  surrounded 
by  an  eager-faced,  impatient  throng.  Sturgis  gave 
St.  Peter  at  this  moment  its  first  awful  news  of  the 
Massacre.  Despite  the  vague  rumors  that  had  fil- 


112  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

tered  through  from  above,  the  town  for  the  moment 
was  stricken  speechless  by  the  frightful  story  and 
the  impending  dangers  at  which  it  hinted. 

But  the  messenger's  thoughts  were  upon  the  fur- 
ther discharge  of  his  important  duty,  and  he  at  once 
set  about  obtaining  transportation  for  the  continu- 
ance of  his  flight.  Pandemonium  now  reigned  in 
St.  Peter,  and  he  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  se- 
curing a  horse.  Personal  safety  was  the  thought 
uppermost  in  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants,  and  in 
the  "to  arms,  to  arms"  tumult  Sturgis  was  helpless. 
He  sought  Sheriff  R.  W.  Tomlinson,  appealed  to 
him  in  the  name  of  necessity,  and  not  in  vain,  for 
the  sheriff  quickly  hitched  up  his  own  team,  and 
taking  Sturgis  aboard,  drove  to  Le  Sueur,  making 
the  twelve  miles  in  just  one  hour.  At  Le  Sueur, 
Sturgis  obtained  a  livery  horse,  which  he  rode  with 
all  possible  speed  to  Shakopee.  The  exhausted 
animal  was  here  discarded,  and  another  obtained 
which  bore  him  to  the  Ferry,  a  well  known  crossing 
of  the  Minnesota  River  in  that  day.  The  last  horse 
obtained  was  a  poor  one,  and  at  the  Ferry  was  com- 
pletely winded.  Here,  however,  Sturgis  found  two 
men  just  leaving  with  a  team  for  St.  Paul.  His 
horse  having  failed  him,  this  was  his  only  oppor- 
tunity of  proceeding.  He  stated  his  case  and  asked 
to  be  taken  aboard.  The  men  flatly  refused  to  ac- 
cede to  him.  He  repeated  his  request  in  the  nature 
of  a  demand,  with  the  threat  that  he  would  take  the 
team  if  further  refused  or  delayed.  He  thus  be- 
came an  unwelcomed  passenger.  Recognizing  the 
justice  of  his  intrusion  however,  the  men  soon  yield- 
ed friendship  to  him,  and  exerted  themselves  in  his 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  113 

behalf. 

Arriving  at  Fort  Snelling  on  the  journey  to  St. 
Paul  at  3  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  after 
a  ride  of  eighteen  hours  from  Fort  Ridgely,  and  one 
testing  the  metal  of  Sturgis,  the  dispatch  bearer  pro- 
ceeded hastily  to  post  headquarters,  where,  fortu- 
nately, in  addition  to  the  commandant,  he  found  Gov- 
ernor Ramsey  and  Adjutant  General  Malmros  in 
consultation  with  the  military  authorities  regarding: 
operations  in  the  south  and  the  rendezvous  of  re- 
cruits being  assembled  at  Snelling.  Sturgis  de- 
livered his  dispatches  with  little  ceremony.  For 
the  instant  the  governor  and  the  commandant  were 
stunned  with  the  shocking  intelligence  of  the  mas- 
sacre conveyed  to  them  from  Lieutenant  Gere. 
They  compared  and  reread  the  dispatches  to  make 
sure  they  had  not  interpreted  more  appalling  dis- 
aster from  them  than  they  really  contained.  The 
visible  shock  gave  way  quickly  to  a  determination 
to  act,  and  by  6  o'clock  of  that  evening  a  part  of  the 
Sixth  Minnesota  Vol.  Infantry  had  embarked  on  a 
steamboat,  bound  up  the  Minnesota  River,  then  re- 
gularly navigated.  Sturgis  accompanied  the  de- 
tachment as  far  as  Shakopee,  where  he  had  left  a 
horse.  At  the  supper  table  in  a  Shakopee  hotel  he 
made  the  acquaintance  of  two  men  who  had  friends 
on  the  frontier,  for  whom  they  had  the  greatest  con- 
cern. These  men  had  horses,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  the  two  should  mount  after  supper  and  proceed 
toward  the  front.  They  rode  to  Henderson,  where 
they  found  much  excitement.  They  resolved  to 
form  a  company  of  mounted  men,  and  proceed  to 
Fort  Ridgely  with  all  possible  haste.  They  spent 


114  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

the  night  in  perfecting1  their  plans,  and  by  morning 
had  forty,  resolute  men  enlisted  for  a  forward  move- 
ment. Ex-Indian  Agent  Joseph  R.  Brown  was  at 
Henderson,  and  dissuaded  many  of  the  volunteers 
at  the  last  moment  from  venturing  upon  what  he  re- 
garded as  an  impracticable  undertaking.  A  num- 
ber withdrew  from  the  organization  under  his  influ- 
ence. This  discouraged  others,  and  but  six  men 
finally  remained  true  to  the  original  determination— 
Sturgis,  his  two  acquaintances  from  Shakopee  and 
three  determined  Henderson  men,  Sturgis  feeling 
the  greatest  concern  for  his  comrades  at  Fort  Ridge- 
ly.  They  proceeded,  but  out  on  the  fort  road,  four 
or  five  miles  from  Henderson,  the  six  resolute  men 
met  a  half-breed  just  coming  in  from  the  Yellow 
Medicine  country.  He  assured  the  horsemen  they 
could  never  reach  Fort  Ri4gely  alive,  and  gave  a 
graphic  account  of  the  horrible  deeds  he  had  wit- 
nessed for  fifty  miles,  giving  the  latest  information 
from  the  scenes  of  the  massacre.  Reluctantly  the 
men  returned  to  Henderson,  and  Sturgis  proceeded 
back  to  acquaint  Gen.  Sibley,  in  command  of  the 
reinforcements,  with  the  information  he  had  gained 
from  the  half-breed.  Much  to  the  disappointment 
of  Sturgis,  who  had  ridden  without  rest  or  sleep  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties  to  hasten  the  progress 
of  assistance,  he  had  to  ride  back  to  Belle  Plaine, 
so  slowly  had  the  movement  of  troops  dragged. 
Finding  Gen.  Sibley  at  the  hotel  in  Belle  Plaine, 
Sturgis  acquainted  him  with  all  he  had  the  morn- 
ing of  that  day  learned  from  the  upper  country. 
General  Sibley  asked  Sturgis  if  he  could,  without 
rest,  bear  some  dispatches  to  Gov.  Ramsey,  at  St. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  115 

Paul,  and  was  assured  by  the  efficient  dispatch-bear- 
er he  would  do  his  best.  This  was  at  nightfall  of 
Wednesday.  Sturgis  found  difficulty  in  getting 
transportation  for  his  new  task,  but  was  finally  given 
an  order  by  Gen.  Sibley  to  take  the  sheriff's  horse, 
that  officer  being  then  in  town.  The  night  was  very 
dark  and  the  roads  strange,  but  Sturgis  reached 
Shakopee  at  4  o'clock  on  Thursday  morning,  Aug- 
ust 21.  Boats  ran  regularly  as  far  up  as  Shakopee, 
and  the  boat  for  St.  Paul  would  leave  at  6  that  morn- 
ing. Leaving  orders  to  be  called  promptly  at  5:30, 
Sturgis  threw  himself  upon  a  couch  and  had  his  first 
continuous  hour-and-a-half  of  sleep  since  the  pre- 
vious Sunday  night.  He  was  called  in  time  to  eat 
his  breakfast  and  catch  the  boat.  He  reached  the 
governor's  office  at  the  state  capitol  in  St.  Paul  at 
about  10  a.  m.,  of  that  day.  Delivering  this,  his  sec- 
ond dispatch,  the  Governor  asked  in  an  impatient 
tone  as  to  the  progress  made  by  the  troops,  and  rose 
from  his  seat  and  paced  the  floor  when  told  Gen. 
Sibley  was  still  at  Belle  Plaine  the  previous  even- 
ing, where  he  had  been  since  the  evening  of  the 
first  day  out.  There  were  no  telephones  in  that 
day,  and,  asking  Sturgis  to  remain  in  his  office,  the 
Governor  sent  a  messenger  out  after  William  R; 
Marshall,  who  came  promptly.  There  was  an  ani- 
mated discussion  of  the  situation,  in  which  Gover- 
nor Ramsey  expressed  himself  with  much  emphasis. 
Marshall  seemed  to  fit  the  occasion  uniquely,  and 
the  seeds  were  sown  here  that  matured  in  his  mili- 
tary advancement  later.  It  was  the  request  of  Gov- 
ernor Ramsey  that  Mr.  Marshall  go  to  the  front  as 
his,  the  Governor's  representative,  and  placing  in 


116  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Sturgis'  hands  dispatches  for  Gen.  Sibley,  Marshall 
and  himself  were  shortly  away  for  the  front,  arriv- 
ing: at  Shakopee  at  night.  They  drove  thence  to 
Belle  Plaine,  over  a  rough  and  muddy  road,  in  in- 
tense darkness,  arriving"  at  Gen.  Sibley's  headquar- 
ters early  in  the  morning  of  Friday,  August  22. 
Sturgis  delivered  his  dispatches  to  Gen.  Sibley, 
and  left  Sibley  and  Marshall  in  consultation. 

The  sequel  of  their  conference  was  not  long  to  be 
waited  for.  Marshall  joined  Sturgis,  and  they  sat 
down  at  the  breakfast  table  in  a  Belle  Plaine  hotel, 
and  as  they  ate,  the  blare  of  trumpets  was  heard, 
and  before  they  had  finished,  the  advance  guard 
was  in  motion,  moving  briskly  through  the  prin- 
cipal street  of  the  town.  Marshall  and  Sturgis  re- 
mained together  until  they  arrived  at  St.  Peter. 
Here  Sturgis,  for  the  first  time  since  the  night  of 
Sunday,  August  17,  or  nearly  a  week  previously,  re- 
moved his  clothing  and  slept  in  a  bed.  He  remain- 
ed with  the  troops,  and  was  with  the  first  detach- 
ment to  reach  Fort  Ridgely  on  the  morning  of  Wed- 
nesday, August  27,  where  the  beleaguered  garrison, 
famished  and  worn,  embattled  and  oppressed  by  a 
foe  in  whose  heart  mercy  was  an  unknown  element, 
received  its  long  hoped  for  relief.  Ten  days  of 
fighting,  vigil  and  suffering  had  reduced  the  garri- 
son to  a  pitiable  condition,  and  to  be  among  the 
first  to  raise  the  siege  was  a  matter  of  great  satis- 
faction to  the  dispatch-bearer  and  to  have  partici- 
pated in  the  joyous  greetings  of  the  besieged  garri- 
son and  the  men  who  had  ridden  all  night  to  relieve 
our  sufferings,  a  celebration  no  one  has  ever  at- 
tempted to  describe,  was  the  privilege  of  a  lifetime, 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  117 

and  reward  enough  for  all  the  hardships  Sturgis 
had  endured. 

No  less  notable  than  the  wild  flight  of  Sturgis, 
was  that  of  Corporal  James  C.  McLain,  the  mes- 
senger who  was  sent  on  a  no  less  perilous  ride  in 
pursuit  of  Lieutenant  Sheehan,  who  left  Fort  Ridge- 
ly  the  previous  day  (Sunday)  with  his  detachment 
of  fifty  men  of  Co.  C,  and  who  was  long  miles  away 
on  his  return  march  to  Fort  Ripley,  on  the  upper 
Mississippi.  Bravely  and  dramatically  McLain 
dashed  away  to  perform  one  of  the  most  gallant 
feats  in  the  history  of  the  massacre,  but  no  account 
of  the  incidents  of  his  long  ride  through  a  country 
overrun  by  the  Sioux  was  ever  preserved,  and  as 
he  was  years  ago  "gathered  to  his  fathers,"  no  ac- 
count is  now  obtainable  of  the  incidents  of  his  val- 
orous deeds.  The  order  detailing  McLain  for  this 
service  was  one  of  the  last  official  acts  of  Capt. 
Marsh  before  leaving  Fort  Ridgely  on  his  fated 
mission  to  the  Redwood  Ferry  on  the  morning  of 
August  18.  McLain's  ride  was  by  daylight,  giving 
him  some  advantages,  and  yet  increasing  the 
dangers  that  beset  him.  He  overtook  Lieutenant 
Sheehan  after  a  ride  of  forty-two  miles,  near  Glen- 
coe,  and  immediately  started  on  the  return  to  Fort 
Ridgely  with  Sheehan's  detachment,  marching  all 
night  and  making  his  eighty-four  mile  journey  with- 
out a  moments  rest. 


118  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


Noble  Men  and  Women  Among  the  Refugees. 

While  the  refugees  who  came  into  the  Fort  from 
the  surrounding:  settlements  consisted  mainly  of 
women  and  children,  not  a  few  men  were  among 
their  number,  and  among  these  men,  as  among  the 
women,  were  those  of  true  Spartan  courage,  and  to 
their  noble  endeavors  Minnesota  owes  a  debt  of 
everlasting  gratitude.  There  were  those  who  were 
cowed  into  a  state  of  submissiveness  that  rendered 
them  an  impediment  rather  than  a  benefit  to  the 
distressed  garrison.  But  the  few  of  whom  this  may 
be  written  had  been  mentally  dazed  by  the  fright- 
ful experiences  through  which  they  had  passed  be- 
fore escaping  the  blood-stained  hands  of  the  Sioux. 
Their  peaceful  and  happy  homes,  in  an  hour  of  un- 
expected danger,  had  been  fallen  upon  by  savages 
who  were  merciless,  and  who  found  their  greatest 
pleasure  in  their  deeds  of  extremest  cruelty.  It  is 
needless  to  depict  what  many  of  these  refugees  had 
witnessed  and  experienced ;  and  the  wonder  is  not 
so  much  that  they  lost  their  virility  and  combative- 
ness,  as  that  they  retained  their  reason.  But  there 
were  noble  specimens  of  manhood  among  the  ref- 
ugees, whose  dogged  courage  and  endurance  con- 
tributed much  to  the  successful  defense  of  Fort 
Ridgely,  these  men,  during  the  hours  of  conflict, 
without  special  or  separate  organization,  seeking 
the  point  where  their  services  as  individuals  seem- 
ed most  required,  there  to  resist  heroically  and  to 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  119 

share  the  dangers  of  a  noble  defense.  Many  of 
these  people  or  their  descendants  still  live  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  old  fort,  and  have  proven 
their  worth  for  sturdiness  in  civil  life  as  they  de- 
monstrated it  in  the  perilous  days  of  the  Sioux 
Massacre.  The  names  of  these  people,  men  and 
women,  will  grow  brighter  as  time  advances  and 
the  world  the  better  appreciates  their  heroic  deeds 
for  the  State  and  humanity. 

The  artist's  plate  in  the  camera  receives  the 
beautiful  image,  imprinted  upon  it  by  the  heavens' 
radiant  gleam  or  the  lightning's  flash,  but  the  image 
itself  appears  not  until  time  shall  have  changed  the 
conditions.  So  it  is  with  the  character  and  services 
of  the  refugees  who  helped  to  save  Fort  Ridgely, 
and  for  whom  reverence  increases  as  the  years  roll 
by ;  and  while  this  book,  in  its  treatment  of  the 
early  stages  of  the  Massacre,  has  dealt  largely 
with  the  achievements  of  companies  B  and  C  of  the 
Fifth  Minnesota  and  of  the  Renville  Rangers,  the 
splendid  services  of  Sergeant  John  Jones  of  the 
regular  army,  and  of  gunner  John  C.  Whipple,  it  is 
not  unmindful  of  the  glorious  part  the  refugees  had 
in  the  triumphant  defense  of  the  key  to  the  Minne- 
sota frontier,  in  an  ordeal  whose  tests  will  never  be 
fully  told. 

It  is  regretable  as  a  matter  of  history  that  the 
names  of  all  who  sought  the  protection  of  Fort 
Ridgely  during  the  Sioux  Massacre,  were  not  pre- 
served, but  the  making  of  such  a  record  was  of  little 
moment  at  a  time  when  the  lives  of  all  at  the  garri- 
son hung  tremblingly  in  the  balance.  To  stay  the 
savage  tide  that  surged  determinedly  for  the  over- 


120 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


throw  of  Fort  Ridgely,  was  a  task  of  the  gravest 
moment.  Every  hour  was  one  of  danger  and  ex- 
pectancy. Every  moment  increased  the  tax  laid 
upon  human  endurance.  Those  known  to  have 
reached  the  Fort,  and  who  nobly  participated  in  its 
defense,  are  the  following : 


William  Anderson 
Robert  Baker  (killed) 
Werner  Boesch 
Louis  Brisbois 
William  Butler 
Clement  Cardinal 
M.  A.  Dailey 
J.  W.  DeCamp 
Frank  Diepolder 
Henry  Diepolder 
Alfred  Dufrene 
J.  C.  Fenske  (w'd) 
Jo.  J.  Frazer 
T.  J.  Galbraith 
E.  A.  C.  Hatch 
Patrick  Heffron 
George  P.  Hicks 
Reran  Horan 
John  Hose 
Joseph  Koehler 
Louis  La  Croix 
James  B.  Magner 
John  Magner 
Pierre  Martelle 
Oliver  Martelle 
John  Meyer 
John  Nairn 


Dennis  O'Shea 
Joseph  Overbaugh 
B.  F.  Pratt 
J.  C.  Ramsey 

B.  H.  Randall 
John  Rcsoft 
Adam  Rieke 
George  Rieke 
Heinrich  Rieke  (died) 
Victor  Rieke 

Louis  Robert 
Louis  Sharon 
Chris  Schlumberger 
Gustav  Stafford 
Joshua  Sweet 
Louis  Thiele 
Nikolas  Thinnes 
Onesime  Vannasse 
A.  J.  Van  Voorhes 
John  Walter 
J.  C.  Whipple 

C.  G.  Wykoff 
Xavier  Zolner 

WOMEN. 
Anna  Boesch 
Kenney  Bradford 
Elizabeth  M.  Dunn 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  121 

Margaret  King  Hern  Mrs.  E.  Pereau 

Mary  A.  Heffron  Wilhelmina  Randall 

Eliza  Muller  Valencia  J.  Reynolds 

Juliette  McAllister  Mary  Rieke 

Mary  D.  Overbaugh  Mrs.  R.  Schmahl 

Agnes  Overbaugh  Mrs.  Spencer 

Julia  Peterson  Julia  Sweet 

Mrs.  E.  Picard  Emily  J.  West 


122  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


New  Ulm. 

The  siege  raised,  our  first  news  came  of  what  had 
transpired  about  us,  particularly  at  our  nearest 
neighboring  town,  New  Ulm,  seventeen  miles  be- 
low. We  had  surmised  an  attack  on  New  Ulm. 
We  had  witnessed  during  the  siege,  on  different 
days,  a  movement  of  savages  around  the  north  and 
south  of  us,  like  the  drift  of  a  mighty  river,  floating 
as  spectral  figures  over  the  great  prairies  for  long 
intervals.  Where  could  they  be  concentrating,  ex- 
cept at  New  Ulm?  But  beyond  this  there  was  noth- 
ing upon  which  to  base  a  suspicion. 

Now  it  was  learned  that  Little  CrowTs  forces  who 
had  held  their  council  under  the  eyes  of  the  Fort 
on  the  morning  after  the  outbreak  at  the  Agency, 
had  fallen  upon  defenseless  New  Ulm  on  the  after- 
noon of  that  day,  August  19th,  producing  conster- 
nation, as  the  town  was  utterly  unorganized  and 
wholly  unprepared  for  such  a  visitation.  Fortunate- 
ly Lieutenant  Gere's  message  forwarded  through 
Courier  Sturgis,  reached  St.  Peter  before  daylight 
of  the  19th,  requesting  the  immediate  return  of  the 
Renville  Rangers  and  confirming  the  gravest  sus- 
picions of  a  general  Sioux  uprising.  Judge  Charles 
E.  Flandrau,  one  of  Minnesota's  ablest  and  best  of 
the  distinguished  men  who  came  into  the  Territory 
from  1845  to  1850,  lived  about  a  mile  out  of  St.  Peter. 
He  was  not  only  able  and  resourceful  mentally,  but 
had  practical  knowledge  of  Indian  character.  Learn- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  123 

of  the  uprising1,  he  set  out  without  a  moment's 
delay  to  organize  for  relief  and  defense.  Gather- 
ing a  company  about  him,  he  started  to  intercept 
the  enemy  and  give  him  battle  as  a  check  to  his 
progress  while  defenses  were  being  more  extensive- 
ly organized.  When  his  command  left  St.  Peter 
there  was  no  fixed  destination,  but  both  Fort  Ridge- 
ly  and  New  Ulm  were  undoubtedly  hard  pressed, 
and  to  one  or  the  other  of  these  points  it  was  ex- 
pected the  command  would  go.  Fortunately,  New 
Ulm  being  the  nearer,  that  point  was  made,  Judge 
Flandrau  and  his  men  reaching  the  town  while  it 
was  defending  itself  at  great  disadvantage  from  an 
attack  by  the  Indians,  who  were  not  strong  in  num- 
bers in  this  attack,  but  who  were  numerous  enough 
to  threaten  the  taking  of  the  town,  a  number  of 
citizens  having  been  killed  and  several  houses  fired 
by  the  savages. 

Judge  Flandrau  had  never  received  military  train- 
ing, but  by  the  saving  grace  of  good  sound  sense, 
he  was  admirably  equipped  for  the  great  work  that 
awaited  him  at  New  Ulm.  An  able  lawyer,  a  keen 
student  of  human  nature,  a  good  organizer,  and  a 
man  of  dauntless  courage,  he  met  every  demand  of 
the  emergency.  Several  companies  of  hastily  or- 
ganized citizen-soldiery  centered  at  New  Ulm  on 
the  urgent  call  sent  out  by  Judge  Flandrau,  who 
plainly  said  the  town  could  only  be  saved  by  ac- 
cessions from  the  country  south  and  east.  These 
organizations  were  headed  by  men  well  suited  to 
the  work  before  them,  who  ably  seconded  Judge 
Flandrau  in  putting  the  distressed  town  on  a  de- 
fensive footing.  Little  Crow's  desperate  attack  on 


124  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Fort  Ridgely,  on  the  22nd  was  most  fortunate  for 
New  Ulm,  as  an  indispensable  day  was  grained  by 
Flandrau,  his  lieutenants,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
the  town  to  prepare  for  what  must  inevitably  come— 
a  second  attack  by  the  Indians.  The  day  also  en- 
abled Flandrau  to  send  parties  into  the  surround- 
ing1 settlements,  who  gathered  up  scores  of  people 
whose  lives  were  momentarily  in  danger,  and  who, 
had  they  been  left  in  the  settlements,  would  have 
fallen  an  easy  prey  on  the  following  day,  to  the 
hundreds  of  marauding  savages  who  raided  the  en- 
tire surrounding  country.  The  inhabitants  of  New 
Ulm  were  almost  exclusively  Germans,  who,  char- 
acteristic of  their  race,  were  a  quiet,  industrious, 
peace-loving  people,  and  the  unheralded  catastrophe 
that  had  burst  upon  them  so  suddenly,  had  over- 
whelmed them  with  dismay.  But  every  possible 
defensive  precaution  had  been  taken  during  the 
22nd,  so  that  on  the  following  day  the  town  was  pre- 
pared to  offer  strong  resistance  to  the  furious  at- 
tack of  the  savages,  which  began  between  the  hours 
of  9  and  10  of  the  forenoon  of  Saturday,  August  23rd. 
The  defensive  force  under  Judge  Flandrau  number- 
ed about  three  hundred  effective  men,  neither  well 
nor  uniformly  armed,  however.  The  non-combatants 
of  the  town  numbered  from  1200  to  1500  people, 
principally  women  and  children  of  the  village  and 
of  the  country  immediately  surrounding.  The  at- 
tack of  the  savages  was  furious,  and  made  with  the 
confident  belief  that  success  was  to  reward  their 
efforts.  The  signs  of  the  morning  portending  a 
fight,  Judge  Flandrau  moved  his  forces  well  out, 
quite  encircling  the  town.  Speaking  of  the  open- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  125 

ing-,  Judge  Flandrau  has  said:*  "At  nearly  10 
o'clock  in  the  morning  the  body  of  Indians  began 
to  move  toward  us,  first  slowly,  and  then  with  con- 
siderable rapidity.  Their  advance  upon  the  slop- 
ing prairie  in  the  bright  sunlight  was  a  very  fine 
spectacle,  and  to  such  inexperienced  soldiers  as 
we  all  were,  intensely  exciting.  When  within  about 
one  and  a  half  miles  of  us  the  mass  began  to  expand 
like  a  fan,  and  increase  in  the  velocity  of  its  ap- 
proach, and  continued  this  movement  until  within 
about  double  rifle-shot,  when  it  had  covered  our  en- 
tire front.  Then  the  savages  uttered  a  terrific  yell 
and  came  down  upon  us  like  the  wind.  I  awaited 
the  first  discharge  with  great  anxiety,  as  it  seemed 
to  me  to  yield  was  certain  destruction.  The  yell 
unsettled  the  men  a  little,  and  just  as  the  rifles  be- 
gun to  crack  they  fell  back  along  the  whole  line." 
The  most  unfortunate  part  of  this  movement  was, 
that  in  falling  back  from  the  open  field,  buildings 
were  passed  in  the  outskirts  of  town,  of  which  the 
Indians  were  quick  to  take  possession,  and  from  the 
cover  of  which  they  became  doubly  troublesome 
and  effective.  Realizing  the  danger  rapidly  threat- 
ening, Judge  Flandrau  and  a  number  of  brave  fel- 
lows now  charged  up  the  hill,  down  which  the  forces 
had  fallen  back,  and  the  movement  was  taken  up 

*  Judge  Flandrau  modestly  places  the  number  of  Indians  in  the  attack  at  650, 
basing  his  information  on  reports  from  unfriendly  half-breeds  subsequent  to  the 
engagements.  This  would  mean  two  to  one  of  Fiandrau's  force.  A  force  of 
four  to  one  would  hardly  have  given  Judge  Flandrau  and  his  brave  men  a  harder 
fight  than  was  the  second  battle  of  New  Ulm,  lasting  nine  or  ten  hours ;  and 
this  is  a  safer  criterion  by  which  to  judge  of  the  number*  of  the  enemy  than 
would  be  the  solicited  estimates  of  half-breeds  who  were  in  the  fight  with  the 
savages.  An  Indian  invariably  belies  his  strength  and  his  casualties. 


126  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

with  a  shout  that  effectually  checked  the  progress 
the  Indians  were  making:. 

From  this  on  the  men  fought  aggressively  and 
confidently,  and  the  contest  raged  hotly  for  several 
hours,  with  varying  advantages.  The  Indians  at 
length  encircled  the  entire  town,  and  pressed  every 
advantage  with  great  vigor.  Their  position  on  the 
bluff  was  a  commanding  one,  and  this  they  held 
persistently.  Getting  a  footing  in  the  lower  part 
of  town,  the  Indians  began  the  firing  of  buildings 
at  the  foot  of  the  main  street  of  the  village.  This 
threatened  to  be  the  utter  undoing  of  the  noble  de- 
fenders of  New  Ulm.  This  offensive  movement  was 
one  the  defenders  could  not  stay  or  stem.  The 
wind  proved  an  evil  element  in  addition,  as  it  blew 
so  as  to  drive  the  smoke  and  flames  up  the  main 
street.  Under  cover  of  the  smoke  the  savages  push- 
ed their  way  up  the  street,  and  in  combatting  them 
the  forces  of  Flandrau  exposed  themselves  to  a  hot 
fire  from  the  enemy  on  the  bluff.  The  defenders 
now  fought  inch  by  inch  and  foot  by  foot  to  gain 
ground  that  would  enable  them  to  check  the  pro- 
gress of  the  conflagration,  and  in  this,  by  indomit- 
able perseverance  and  hard  fighting,  succeeded. 

After  the  conflict  had  raged  for  hours  the  defen- 
ders became  hardened  to  battle,  and  grew  to  be  in 
every  way  better  soldiers.  They  had  learned  the 
tactics  of  the  savages,  and  had  become  inured  to 
their  demonic  yells,  which  at  first  were  terrifying. 
Not  only  were  the  lives  of  hundreds  of  helpless 
women,  children  and  aged  and  infirm,  in  the  hands 
of  these  valiant  men,  but  far-reaching  consequences 
to  the  whole  border  were  involved  in  the  contest, 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  127 

and  as  the  conflict  lengthened,  the  defenders  more 
and  more  forced  the  fighting,  until  at  length,  with 
nightfall,  the  savages  withdrew,  defeated,  for  they 
had  failed  of  their  purpose. 

This  battle  was  one  of  the  most  important  events 
in  the  history  of  Minnesota,  and  will  ever  hold  a 
distinctive  place  among  the  early— day  frontier 
tragedies  of  the  state  ;  and  New  Ulm's  distinction 
is  unique,  in  that  it  is  shared  by  no  other  Minnesota 
town. 

After  dark  a  new  and  less  extended  defensive 
line  was  formed  and  barricaded,  and  all  buildings 
outside  of  this  line,  some  forty  in  number,  were 
burned.  Thus  the  town,  for  the  first  time,  was  in 
good  condition  to  resist  attack,  and  the  wisdom  of 
this  precautionary  measure  was  apparent  when  the 
savages  renewed  the  attack  the  following  morning, 
only  to  abandon  it  definitely  by  noon. 

Pestilence  threatening,  and  ammunition  and  pro- 
visions becoming  well  exhausted,  it  was  resolved 
to  abandon  New  Ulm,  and  on  Monday,  August  25th, 
the  venture  of  successfully  reaching  Mankato  was 
made.  In  addition  to  the  women  and  children,  were 
eighty  wounded  men.  To  remove  these  a  train  of 
153  wagons  was  made  up,  and  the  procession,  which 
Judge  Flandrau  has  described  as  the  "most  heart- 
rending ever  witnessed  in  America,"  set  out  on  its 
sad  and  perilous  mission,  reaching  its  destination 
in  safety.  Though  for  a  time  abandoned,  New  Ulm 
was  not  again  the  scene  of  conflict  or  important 
molestation.  The  moral  effect  of  a  strong  force 
of  troops  moving  up  the  Minnesota  valley  to  the 
scenes  of  the  massacre,  though  the  troops  were  not 


128  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

yet  within  striking  distance  of  the  enemy,  exerted 
a  salutary  influence  over  the  Indians,  who  had  been 
roughly  handled  at  Fort  Ridgely  and  New  Ulm, 
and  who  were  beginning  to  sorrowfully  abandon  the 
hope  of  re-entering  the  Mississippi  valley. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  129 


Birch    Goulie. 

On  Thursday  morning:,  Augfust  28th,  Col.  H.  H. 
Sibley  entered  Fort  Ridgely  at  the  head  of  a  column 
of  about  1200  men.  These  with  Col.  McPhail's  men 
already  at  the  Fort,  and  accessions  that  followed 
rapidly,  made  up  an  army  sufficiently  large  to  war- 
rant offensive  operations,  though  the  equipment  of 
these  troops  was  grossly, inefficient. 

Preliminary  to  other  operations,  a  detachment 
was  sent  out  on  Sunday,  August  31st,  with  the  Lower 
Agency  as  the  .objective  point.  This  was  still,  as 
of  old,  the  rendezvous  of  the  Indians.  Mainly,  the 
expedition  had  for  its  purpose  the  interment  of  the 
men  who  fell  at  the  ferry  and  the  Agency,  and  of 
others,  and  to  discover,  if  possible,  the  body  of 
Captain  Marsh.  The  detachment  for  this  purpose 
was  composed  of  Co.  A,  Sixth  Minnesota  Volunteer 
Infantry,  Captain  Hiram  P.  Grant,  and  the  Cullen 
Guards,  mounted,  Captain  Joseph  Anderson.  The 
detachment  was  under  the  general  command  and 
guidance  of  Major  Joseph  R.  Brown,  a  noted  Indian 
trader  and  frontiersman,  and  embraced  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men,  exclusive  of  seventeen  team- 
sters, who  had  charge  of  as  many  wagons  contain" 
ing  equipage.  In  burying  the  scores  of  corpses 
that  had  been  exposed  for  ten  days  in  a  summer's 
sun,  the  little  expedition  put  in  a  day  of  trying  ex- 
periences by.  the  time  of  reaching;  the  Redwood 


130  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

ferry,  and  went  into  camp  at  night,  (having:  seen 
no  sigfn  of  Indians)  in  the  Minnesota  bottoms,  just 
east  of  the  Agency.  Monday  morning,  September 
1st,  Captain  Anderson  crossed  the  Minnesota,  and 
after  burying:  the  dead  at  the  Agfency,  proceeded 
up  the  west  side  of  the  river,  while  Captain  Grant 
scouted  about  the  country  to  the  eastward,  the  two 
detachments  rejoining:  each  other  at  nigrht  at  Birch 
Coulie,  a  location  than  which  there  could  have  been 
nothing:  more  unfortunate  from  a  military  stand- 
point. The  site  had  Major  Brown's  approval,  and 
there  being:  confidence  in  his  judgment,  he  having: 
lived  for  years  among:  the  Sioux,  and  knowing:  every 
rod  of  ground  of  the  surrounding:  country,  the  men 
bivouacked,  knowing:  they  were  in  the  enemy's 
country,  but  little  suspecting:  the  frightful  catas- 
trophe that  awaited  them. 

The  location  of  the  camp,  as  stated,  was  unfavor- 
able in  the  extreme,  being:  in  a  depression  where 
in  event  of  an  attack  the  men  would  be  at  the  mercy 
of  the  enemy. 

Company  B  of  the  Fifth,  which  for  months  had 
occupied  Fort  Ridg:ely,  now  that  so  larg:e  a  body  of 
troops  had  arrived,  left  the  quarters  and  went  into 
camp  in  tents  northwest  of  the  garrison.  The  writer 
remembers  well,  while  lying:  on  the  ground  about 
dayligfht  on  the  morning:  of  September  1st,  of  hear- 
ing: the  rattle  of  musketry.  This  was  heard  and  com- 
mented on  by  many,  and  indicated  plainly  that 
Captains  Grant  and  Anderson  were  hotly  eng:ag:ed 
by  the  enemy.  It  was  not  supposed  the  firing:  could 
be  fifteen  miles  away,  as  it  really  was,  Mother  Earth 
being:  a  better  telephone  than  she  was  g:iven  credit 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  131 

for.  A  relief  column  was  at  once  organized  to  go 
to  the  assistance  of  the  Grant- Anderson  detach- 
ment. This  consisted  of  Col.  Samuel  McPhail,  with 
fifty  horsemen.  Major  Robert  McLarren  with  one 
hundred  infantrymen,  and  Captain  Mark  Hendrix 
with  a  mountain  howitzer  and  the  necessary  gunners 
to  man  it.  The  whereabouts  of  Grant  and  Anderson 
could  only  be  surmised,  as  no  word  had  come  from 
them  since  the  day  of  their  departure,  but  they 
could  be  located  within  reasonable  bounds  ;  so  the 
relief  column  need  not,  and  did  not,  go  far  astray. 
The  movements  of  the  relief  column  in  fact  had 
been  detected  by  the  savages,  and  a  strong  force 
of  Little  Crow's  warriors  was  thrown  against  the 
McPhail-McLarren  forces,  to  prevent  their  reaching 
Birch  Coulie,  which  the  Indians  knew  must  soon 
fall  into  their  hands  if  relief  could  be  prevented. 
The  relief  detachment  having  a  howitzer  made  ex- 
cellent use  of  it  in  many  ways  besides  pouring  shot 
into  the  ranks  of  the  Indians  who  had  thrown  them- 
selves across  the  path  of  the  soldiers.  The  sound 
of  the  cannon  gave  heart  to  the  desperately  oppress- 
ed force  at  Birch  Coulie,  three  miles  distant,  struck 
terror  to  the  hosts  of  Little  Crow,  and  admonished 
Col.  Sibley  that  a  hot  fight  was  in  progress. 

Lieutenant  Sheehan,  the  hero  of  Fort  Ridgely, 
had  accompanied  the  relief  column,  and  as  the  com- 
mander of  the  expedition  found  the  savage  hosts 
too  strong  to  make  farther  progress  possible,  dis- 
patched Sheehan  with  a  request  to  Col.  Sibley  for 
reinforcements.  Sheehan,  of  all  men  in  the  relief 
expedition,  was  best  fitted  by  tact,  courage  and  ex- 
perience for  the  hazardous  mission,  and  while  his 


132         .  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

horse  was  twice  wounded  by  the  savages,  made  the 
ride  successfully. 

Col.  Sibley,  in  response,  at  once  put  his  entire 
force  on  the  march,  leaving  Fort  Ridgely  at  sun- 
down on  Tuesday  evening,  September  2nd.  He 
reinforced  the  relief  column  in  the  night,  his  own 
cannon,  in  charge  of  Sergeant  Jones,  and  that  of 
Captain  Hendrix,  being  used  for  signal  purposes 
in  uniting  the  two  bodies.  The  exact  location  of 
the  Grant-Anderson  force  not  being  known,  and  the 
night  being  very  dark,  Col.  Sibley  awaited  daylight 
where  he  found  McPhail  and  McLarren,  moving 
his  entire  force  forward  at  dawn.  A  march  of  three 
miles  led  to  the  horrifying  death-trap  that  passed 
into  history  as  Birch  Coulie,  a  place  that  furnished 
one  of  the  bloodiest  pages  of  the  Sioux  Massacre, 
as  well  as  one  of  the  grandest  exhibitions  of  cour- 
age and  endurance,  under  the  most  adverse  con- 
ditions, ever  recorded. 

At  dawn  onTuesday  morning,  September  2nd,  the 
camp  of  Captains  Grant  and  Anderson  was  surpris* 
ed  and  fiercely  attacked  at  short  range  under  cover 
of  the  brush  and  hills  surrounding.  The  effect  upr 
on  the  little  command  was  appalling.  The  rain  of 
bullets  dealt  consternation  and  death  to  the  unpro- 
tected camp,  throwing  officers  and  men  into  the 
wildest  confusion.  The  storm  increased  as  the 
savages  warmed  up  to  their  work,  and  emboldened, 
forced  their  way  to  newer  and  nearer  points  of  van- 
tage, their  yells  and  shouts  and  the  beating  of 
torn  -  toms  adding  to  the  terrifying  din,  ami4 
which  many  men  and  horses  went  to  earth.  It 
seemed  that  not  a  living  creature  could  long  survive 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  133 

the  almost  blinding"  cross-fire  to  which  the  men 
were  subjected.  Horses,  frightfully  wounded,  gave 
painful  expression  to  their  agonies.  There  were 
ninety  of  these  noble  beasts  in  the  little  camp,  and 
nearly  all  were  down,  dead  or  groaning  in  death 
agonies,  within  thirty  minutes  after  the  firing  of  the 
first  shot  by  the  savages.  One-fourth  of  the  men 
had  already  fallen,  dead  or  wounded,  and  yet  the 
fire  grew  hotter. 

The  panorama  surrounding  the  men  was  such  as 
to  daze  their  senses.  The  belching  guns  of  the  sav- 
ages formed  an  encircling  line  of  fire,  while  the 
exultant  Indians,  their  writhing  bodies  swaying 
and  leaping,  made  tame  in  comparison  the  "Inferno" 
of  Dante.  The  men  must  return  the  fire  to  prevent 
a  charge,  which  would  have  swept  the  little  rem- 
nant of  soldiery  from  existence  in  a  twinkling. 

If  they  would  withstand  the  awful  storm  of  bullets, 
they  must  dig,  for  without  trenches  there  was  no 
protection,  and  they  JiY/dig,  using  the  three  spades 
and  one  shovel  available,  and  their  swords,  bayo- 
nets, pocket-knives  and  fingers,  even.  But  hours 
passed  before  fairly  adequate  protection  was  se- 
cured, many  a  man's  pit  proving  to  be  his  grave. 
All  day  long  the  pitiless  rain  of  shot  fell  upon  the 
helpless  men  from  all  sides,  imprisoning  them  in 
their  little  trenches  from  which  they  bravely  fought 
beneath  a  scorching  sun  without  food  or  drink  or 
relief  or  the  ability  in  any  known  way  to  communi- 
cate a  knowledge  of  their  distress  beyond  the  cordon 
of  savages,  that,  like  the  coils  of  a  serpent,  held 
them  in  its  deadly  folds. 

On  and  on,  hour  by  hour,  the  battle  raged,  until 


134  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

darkness  relaxed  in  a  degree  only,  the  savage  grasp. 
The  roar  of  the  howitzer  of  Captain  Hendrix  had 
been  heard  for  hours,  but  its  sounds  had  become  a 
mystery  rather  than  a  hope. 

Night  came  none  too  soon,  for  the  ammunition 
with  which  to  resist  longer  was  practically  exhaust- 
ed. The  long  vigil,  surrounded  by  the  dead  and 
the  moaning,  helpless  wounded,  whose  entreaties 
were  almost  beyond  human  endurance,  ended  at 
dawn  when  Col.  Sibley  and  his  men  rode  into  the 
slaughter-pen  as  the  savages  fell  back  among  the 
protecting  hills  and  valleys  of  the  Minnesota. 

The  scenes  that  met  the  gaze  of  the  relieving 
column  can  only  be  truly  known  to  those  who  wit- 
nessed them,  for  language,  in  its  process  of  evolu- 
tion, has  not  as  yet  arrived  at  a  stage  in  its  de- 
velopment for  the  faithful  portrayal  of  the  uncanny 
spectacle  that  Col.  Sibley  looked  upon  in  dumb 
amazement  when  he  entered  the  camp.  Judge  J.  J. 
Egan,  then  a  boy,  a  volunteer  for  the  service  and 
the  occasion,  says,  in  writing  of  the  events  in 
which  he  participated  from  first  to  last  at  Birch 
Coulie :  "The  scene  presented  in  our  camp  was  a 
sickening  one.  Twenty-three  men,  black  and  dis- 
colored by  the  sun's  rays,  lay  stark  and  dead  in  a 
small  space;  forty-five  others,  severely  wounded, 
and  groaning  and  crying  for  water ;  the  carcasses 
of  ninety  dead  horses  lying  about,  and  a  stench  in- 
tolerable emanating  from  the  whole  ground."  The 
tents  of  the  camp  were  literally  cut  to  pieces,  while 
the  wagons,  riddled  and  splintered,  told  of  the  aw- 
ful ordeal  through  which  the  survivors  had  passed. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  135 


Wood  Lake  and  Camp  Release. 

Following1  Birch  Coulie  came  a  period  of  inactivity 
at  the  Fort,  painful  to  the  restless  men  who  felt 
that  valuable  time  was  being:  wasted;  but  while 
Col.  Sibley  would  never  have  gained  fame  as  a 
dashing:  Indian  campaigner,  it  is  due  to  say  that  at 
this  time  he  was  poorly  equipped  for  an  aggressive 
movement.  His  men  were  good,  but  his  equipment 
was  poor  in  the  extreme,  and  his  means  of  trans- 
portation no  better.  Having  as  far  as  possible  over- 
come these  defects,  just  one  month  from  the  day 
of  the  outbreak,  or  on  September  18th,  the  march 
was  taken  up  for  an  offensive  campaign,  the  entire 
force  moving  down  to  and  across  the  Minnesota 
River  by  ferry,  a  mile  from  Fort  Ridgely.  The 
command  proceeded  with  great  caution  up  the  west 
side  of  the  Minnesota,  camping  below  the  Redwood 
Agency  on  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day.  The 
fifth  day  out,  the  22nd  of  September,  Wood  Lake 
was  reached,  a  shallow  body  of  water  about  two 
miles  from  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency.  The 
following  morning,  there  being  no  signs  of  a  for- 
ward movement,  a  party  of  the  Third  Minnesota 
started  with  teams  on  a  foraging  expedition,  and 
had  proceeded  nearly  a  mile  in  the  direction  of 
Yellow  Medicine  when  they  were  fiercely  attacked 
by  a  large  force  of  Indians.  Major  A.  E.  Welch, 
commanding  the  Third,  hastened  with  his  remnant 
of  a  regiment,  about  270  men  in  all,  to  the  rescue  of 


136  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

the  foraging  party,  and  became  hotly  engaged.  The 
fighting  Renville  Rangers  could  not  keep  out,  and 
were  soon  in  the  midst  of  the  conflict.  But  all  this 
was  unauthorized,  and  instead  of  supporting  Welch, 
he  was  ordered  to  fall  back  to  camp.  He  persisted 
in  dealing  a  hot  fire  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy, 
and  instead  of  retreating,  sent  word  back  to  Col. 
Sibley  that  he  could  hold  his  ground,  and  asked  to 
be  reinforced.  Col.  Sibley  then  sent  a  peremptory 
order  to  fall  back  to  camp.  Welch,  reluctantly 
yielding  under  orders,  was  hotly  pressed  by  the 
exultant  savages,  and  sustained  serious  loss  in  the 
retrograde  movement,  himself  receiving  a  broken 
leg.  In  this  enforced  retreat,  made  amid  bitter 
curses  on  the  part  of  the  soldiers,  it  was  necessary 
to  cross  a  small  creek,  which  flowed  through  a 
narrow,  deep  ravine.  Taking  advantage  of  this 
confusing  hindrance,  the  Indians  poured  in  a  merci- 
less fire,  and  it  was  here  Welch  received  his  serious 
wound,  and  that  many  of  his  men  were  killed  or 
wounded,  but  the  men,  assisted  by  the  Renville 
Rangers,  were  able  to  save  their  wounded  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  savages. 

At  last  the  Sixth  and  Seventh  Minnesota  men, 
chafing  under  restraint  while  their  comrades  were 
suffering  unjustly,  as  they  believed,  were  put  into 
action,  with  their  fighting  spirit  at  fever  heat. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  William  R.  Marshall,  with  his 
five  companies  of  the  Seventh,  joined  the  Third  and 
Renville  Rangers  in  a  gallant  charge  that  sent  the 
enemy  flying.  The  Sixth  and  the  Artillery  render- 
ed effective  assistance  at  various  points,  once  the 
order  was  given,  and  all  combined,  gallantly  passed 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  137 

the  battle  of  Wood  Lake  over  to  history  with  victory 
complete. 

The  march  from  Wood  Lake  was  resumed  on  the 
25th,  a  day  having  been  ipent  at  the  scene  of  the 
battle  to  bury  the  dead  and  study  the  movements 
of  the  enemy.  On  Friday,  September  26th,  the 
command  reached  the  Indian  camp  nearly  opposite 
the  point  at  which  the  Chippewa  enters  the  Minne- 
sota River.  The  friendly  Indians  had  secured  pos- 
session of  the  white  captives  taken  by  Little  Crow 
during  the  massacre,  the  warrior  chief  now  finding: 
his  time  taken  up  with  the  serious  matter  of  self- 
preservation.  Immediately  prior  to  this  date  stormy 
times  had  characterized  the  life  of  the  savages.  A 
powerful  and  vicious  element,  steeped  in  crime  and 
dripping  with  innocent  blood,  was  determined  the 
captives,  about  250  in  number,  should  be  massacred. 
Another  strong  element,  though  in  the  minority, 
bravely  stood  between  the  fiends  incarnate  and  the 
helpless  women  and  children  who  lived  in  mortal 
fear  of  annihilation.  They  had  suffered  agonies  in- 
describable and  indignities  revolting  and  unspeak- 
able, by  the  side  of  which  death  would  have  been 
merciful.  The  sound  of  cannon  at  Wood  Lake,  to 
them  as  sweet  as  aeolian  strains,  told  of  the 
near  approach  of  their  deliverers,  and  gave  them 
a  new  interest  in  life  ;  but  they  jrealized  their 
increased  dangers,  now  mingled  with  the  first  gleam 
of  hope,  and  their  suspense  and  mental  anguish  told 
frightfully  on  their  endurance.  Crushed  in  pride  and 
spirit, exposed  to  the  chill  of  rains  and  autumn  winds, 
and  compelled  to  live  on  food  revolting  to  decent 
stomachs,  there  were  no  longer  brave  spirits  among 


138  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

these  unhappy  people  to  encourage  the  weak,  and 
the  nearer  deliverance  came  the  greater  became 
the  danger  that  the  whole  captive  mass  would  be 
butchered.  The  red-handed  assassins  among  the 
Indians  were  determined  this  should  be  done.  The 
brave  men  among  them,  the  "friendly  Indians," 
who  would  hazard  their  own  existence  in  the  final 
struggle  to  save  the  captives/were  favored  by  the 
anxiety  of  those  who  had  blotted  out  a  thousand 
lives,  to  escape  to  places  of  personal  safety.  This 
was  indeed  a  strong  factor  in  saving  from  annihi- 
lation the  helpless  captives.  The  wish  of  the  red- 
handed  element  was  to  accomplish  the  terrible  exe- 
cution of  these  people  with  gun  and  club,  and  then 
hastily  escape  into  the  great  solitude  to  the  north- 
westward, then  known  only  to  adventurous  explor- 
ers. They  were  thwarted  only  by  the  courageous 
Paul  (ma-za-ku-ta-ma-ne)  who  had  the  moral  support 
of  Standing  Buffalo  and  other  influential  leaders, 
and  who  would  have  fought  desperately  had  the 
final  issue  been  forced. 

Another  point  never  historically  developed,  was 
the  masterful  skill  by  which,  without  internecine 
violence,  the  friendly  Indians  became  the  dcfaclo 
possessors  of  the  captives.  This  was  not  done 
openly  or  boastfully,  but  artfully  and  covertly,  and 
while  this  might  not  save  the  lives  of  the  captives, 
it  would  place  them  where  they  would  not  be  the 
first  to  die.  The  loyal  Indians  interposed  them- 
selves by  a  concerted  movement  between  the  cap  - 
tives  and  their  would-be  assassins. 

All  plans  matured,  and  the  main  body  of  Indians 
who  had  instigated  and  prosecuted  the  war  on  the 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  139 

whites,  having  pushed  northward  for  personal  safety, 
Col.  Sibley  rode  into  and  took  possession  of  the  In- 
dian camps  and  the  captives,  who  were  overwhelmed 
and  prostrated  when  the  hour  of  their  deliverance 
finally  came.  That  the  power  of  their  captors  and 
tormentors  had  been  broken,  and  that  the  forbidding 
incubus  under  which  they  had  lived  such  wretched 
lives,  had  been  swept  away,  was  too  much  for  their 
dulled  comprehension,  and  they  bowed  down  and 
wept,  and  then  lifted  their  faces  in  thanksgiving  to 
God,  and  as  they  rose  and  marched  away  into  new 
life  the  actors  in  the  theatre  of  war  for  the  nonce 
disappeared  from  the  stage. 


140  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


Attack  on  Fort  Abercrombie. 

Like  Ridgely,  Abercrombie  was  a  fort  in  name 
only.  The  post  consisted  of  three  buildings— bar- 
racks, officers'  quarters  and  comissary.  When  the 
news  of  the  outbreak  reached  this  distant  frontier 
post,  steps  were  taken  to  hastily  put  the  garrison 
in  a  defensible  condition  by  the  construction  of 
earthworks  and  other  barricades.  Abercrombie, 
situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Red  River,  in  what 
is  now  Richland  County,  North  Dakota,  did  not 
learn  of  the  outbreak  until  the  20th  of  August.  The 
post  was  garrisoned  by  Co.  D,  Capt.  John  Vander- 
Horck,  Fifth  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry.  The 
center  of  attraction  of  the  Indians  was  on  the  more 
southern  frontier  and  during  the  period  of  quiet  at 
Abercrombie  Capt.  Vander  Horck  put  his  post  in 
the  best  possible  condition  for  resisting  the  enemy, 
and  wisely  he  planned,  for  the  Indians  desperately 
attacked  the  Fort  at  5  o'clock  of  the  morning  of 
September  3rd,  which  attack  they  continued  until 
about  noon,  but  they  were  repulsed  by  the  gallant 
men  of  Co.  D,  and  retired  after  sustaining  severe 
loss  in  numbers.  The  garrison  was  now  confronted 
by  several  serious  problems.  Capt.  Vander  Horck, 
while  on  a  round  of  the  picket  line  before  daylight 
of  the  morning  of  attack,  was  shot  and  seriously 
wounded  by  a  guard  who  had  seen  Indians  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  post,  and  who  mistook  the  Captain 
for  a  foe.  First  Lieutenant  Cariveau  was  ill,  and 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  141 

while  Second  Lieutenant  Groetch  had  commanded 
with  ability,  it  was  discovered  when  this  first  en- 
gagement was  over  that  but  350  rounds  of  ammu- 
nition for  the  old  Harper's  Ferry  muskets,  with 
which  the  men  were  armed,  remained.  By  mistake, 
cartridges  had  been  supplied  to  the  post  of  a  calibre 
not  suited  to  the  guns  of  the  men.  A  force  was  at 
once  organized  to  manufacture  cartridges,  the 
bullets  for  which  were  obtained  by  opening  canister 
intended  for  the  howitzers,  of  which  there  was  an 
abundant  supply.  Sufficient  ammunition  was  thus 
made  for  the  infantry  without  seriously  depleting 
the  supply  of  the  artillery. 

On  the  morning  of  September  6th,  just  at  the 
break  of  day,  the  Indians  launched  a  furious  attack 
upon  the  Fort  with  greatly  increased  numbers,  the 
attack  lasting  ten  hours,  during  which  time  the 
fighting  was  at  times  hot  and  furious,  but  aided  by 
the  howitzers,  which  were  splendidly  manned,  the 
garrison  bad  defiance  to  the  enemy  and  drove  him 
from  the  field  with  heavy  loss.  Though  reinforce- 
ments did  not  arrive  until  September  23rd,  over  a 
month  from  the  beginning  of  the  outbreak,  the  Fort 
was  not  again  attacked  in  force,  though  the  garrison 
was  practically  in  a  state  of  siege  for  weeks.  Co. 
D  lost  five  men,  one  killed  and  four  wounded,  in 
the  two  engagements. 

The  defense  of  Fort  Abercrombie  was  heroically 
sustained.  The  mental  and  physical  strain  endur- 
ed, severely  taxed  the  officers  and  men,  but  they 
proved  equal  to  every  demand  and  every  expect- 
ation. 


142  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


Escape  of  the  Missionaries. 

On  the  night  of  Friday,  Aug.  22nd,  after  a  hard 
day's  fight  with  the  savages,  and  while  the  enemy 
was  yet  reasonably  supposed  to  occupy  in  large 
numbers  the  woods  surrounding  Fort  Ridgely  on 
three  sides,  Andrew  Hunter,  son-in-lawof  Rev.  Dr. 
Thomas  Williamson,  the  well-known  Sioux  mis- 
sionary, crawled  on  his  hands  and  knees  into  the 
Fort  to  ascertain  conditions  and  the  advisability  of 
attempting  to  pilot  a  party  of  forty  souls  into  the 
garrison.  He  told  in  an  undertone  the  startling 
story  of  the  escape  of  the  missionaries  and  their 
families  from  above  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency, — 
an  escape  thrilling  and  miraculous,  made  while  the 
whole  country  was  lying  at  the  feet  of  the  murder- 
ous Sioux.  The  missionary  party  had  reached  a 
point  not  far  distant  from  the  Fort  on  the  afternoon 
of  August  22nd,  and  plainly  heard  the  storm  of 
battle  that  raged  for  hours  between  the  garrison 
and  the  hosts  of  Little  Crow,  and  as  silence  succeed- 
ed the  din  of  battle  at  dark  the  most  intense  anxiety 
was  felt  by  the  missionaries,  as  to  what  the  result  of 
the  fierce  engagement  had  been.  Had  the  Fort 
fallen,  and  was  the  reigning  silence  the  silence  of 
death  and  desolation?  Thus  queried  all,  and  thus 
thought  Andrew  Hunter  as  he  crept  up  to  and  into 
the  garrison.  The  Fort  still  survived,  but  it  was 
so  reduced  in  ammunition  and  supplies  as  to  make 
it  no  longer  a  safe  place  of  refuge.  The  hearts  of 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  143 

the  mission  band  scarcely  beat  in  the  hour  of  anx- 
iety during  which  Hunter  had  stealthily,  his  life  in 
his  hand,  crept  to  the  Fort.  Hunter  was  advised 
that  it  would  be  wiser  for  the  missionaries  to  con- 
tinue their  flight,  dangerous  as  it  was,  rather  than 
to  enter  the  Fort  in  its  exhausted  condition,  for  it 
must  fall  for  want  of  ammunition,  if  the  battle  were 
renewed,  as  was  not  improbable. 

Thus  came  to  Fort  Ridgely  the  first  news  receiv- 
ed of  the  whereabouts  and  fortunes  of  the  mission- 
aries, the  families  and  associates  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Williamson  and  the  Rev.  Stephen  R.  Riggs,  whose 
mission  homes  were  at  Hazlewood,  five  or  six  miles 
northwest  of  the  remote  Yellow  Medicine  Agency. 
Great  anxiety  was  felt  for  these  well-known  people, 
some  of  whom  had  been  in  missionary  work  among 
the  Sioux  of  the  Minnesota  Valley  since  1835,  but 
no  one  had  dared  to  hope  they  had  escaped  death 
at  the  hands  of  the  savages,  but  one  noble  Indian, 
Chaska,  had  stood  loyally  by  them  ;  and  with  pecu- 
liar instinct  had  guided  them,  even  through  a 
country  swarming  with  savages,  by  probably  the 
only  routes  that  would  have  made  their  escape 
possible. 

Early  in  the  evening  of  Monday,  August  18th, 
Chaska  and  an  Indian  companion,  Tankanxaceye, 
learning  of  the  bloody  work  at  the  Lower  Agency, 
hastened  to  the  home  of  Dr.  Williamson,  warn- 
ed him  the  lives  of  all  the  whites  at  the  mission,  as 
elsewhere,  were  in  peril,  and  advised  preparations 
for  flight.  Paul  and  Simon,  also  full-blood  Indians, 
likewise  acquainted  Rev.  Riggs  of  the  conditions 
below  as  they  had  just  learned  them,  urged 


144  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

flight  for  safety,  and  assisted  in  piloting:  the  families 
of  Rig:g:s,  Jonas  Pettijohn,  D.  W.  Moore  and  H.  D. 
Cunningham  to  an  island  in  the  Minnesota  River 
some  distance  away,  where  they  remained  until  the 
following:  evening:.  During:  this  time  Chaska  and 
his  Indian  companion  had  conducted  Dr.  William- 
son and  family,  and  the  family  of  his  son-in-law, 
Andrew  Hunter,  to  a  place  of  safety  and  conceal- 
ment farther  down  the  river.  Having:  accumulated 
the  families  at  the  sawmill,  through  the  kindly 
efforts  of  the  Renvilles,  half-breeds,  the  Rig;g:s  party 
set  out  on  the  north  and  east  side  of  the  Minnesota 
River  on  one  of  the  most  perilous  journeys  ever 
undertaken  by  man.  To  encounter  Indians  was 
death.  To  traverse  their  country  and  avoid  them 
seemed  impossible.  Dr.  Williamson  was  slow  to 
believe  the  Indians  had  risen,  en  masse,  for  the  slaug:h- 
ter  of  the  whites,  and  lingered  in  the  region  of  his 
mission-home  hesitatingly ;  but  the  warning^  of 
Chaska  were  so  urgent  that  discretion  admonished 
the  ag:ed  missionary  to  seek  safety  for  himself  and 
friends  without  further  delay,  and  well  did  he  reach 
this  conclusion.  The  only  available  conveyance 
was  an  ox-cart.  This  was  put  to  the  best  possible 
use,  Chaska  and  Lorenzo  concealing:  the  occupants 
of  the  Cart  beneath  robes  and  quilts,  and  starting: 
on  the  perilous  journey  to  Fort  Ridg:ely,  nearly 
sixty  miles  distant.  The  Rig:g;s  party  was  over- 
taken the  following:  day.  Now,  with  the  accession 
of  three  Germans  who  had  escaped  from  the  raided 
settlements  through  which  the  refugees  must  pass, 
the  number  of  souls  under  the  guidance  and  pro- 
tection of  the  faithful  friendly  Indians  numbered 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  145 

forty. 

The  trail  of  the  missionaries  had  been  taken  up 
by  the  murderous  Indians,  but  fortunately  a  severe 
thunderstorm  intervened,  and  the  torrents  of  rain 
obliterated  the  trail ;  it  was  given  up,  and  the 
savages  went  into  the  defenseless  settlements,  to 
ply  the  work  of  destruction. 

The  movements  of  the  missionaries  were  unavoid- 
ably slow,  and  attended  with  momentary  danger. 
Dead  bodies  everywhere  and  charred  ruins  or  burn- 
ing homes  made  manifest  the  peril  of  the  helpless 
refugees,  but  their  Indian  guides  were  ever  on  the 
alert,  watchful  as  eagles,  and  quick  to  detect  the 
slightest  signs  of  danger.  Nor  were  they  less  alert 
in  the  matter  of  choosing:  the  safer  side  of  any 
dilemma.  There  was  little  rest  for  man  or  beast, 
and  little  upon  which  to  subsist.  So,  day  and  night 
they  trudged  along,  much  of  the  time  through  coarse 
grass  that  lacerated  their  flesh,  or  jungles  that  hin- 
dered their  progress. 

Failing  to  enter  the  Fort,  the  weary  and  worn 
party  made  its  way  heavy  hearted  still  many  miles 
distant,  finally  reaching  Henderson,  Sibley  county. 

It  was  with  feelings  of  deep  regret  at  the  Fort 
that  these  people  were  advised  to  continue  their 
journey,  beset  with  the  greatest  of  dangers,  but  the 
garrison  was  in  such  peril  that  this  was  thought  the 
wiser  course  to  pursue. 


146 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


CUT-NOSE 


An  Incident  Preceding  the  Outbreak. 

A  few  days  before  the  out- 
break a  large  party  of  Indi- 
ans came  to  the  Fort,  Cut- 
Nose  among:  the  number. 
The  object  of  this  visit  can 
best  be  surmised  by  what 
followed.  No  outbreak  had 
been  planned  in  advance, 
though  an  uprising:  had  been 
premeditated  as  the  one 
course  left  open  for  redress- 
ing: the  wrongs  the  Indians 
had  suffered.  The  visit  of  these  Indians,  as  it  was 
not  uncommon,  excited  no  suspicion  on  this  occa- 
sion until  the  evening:  of  the  second  day.  The 
party,  embracing:  fifty  to  one  hundred  people,  had 
been  unobtrusive  and  good-natured,  but  in  the  even- 
ing before  they  were  to  take  their  departure  they  or- 
ganized a  war-dance  west  of  the  garrison  thirty  or 
forty  rods,  during  which  they  worked  themselves  in- 
to a  frenzied  state.  The  writer  was  among  a  party  of 
soldier  spectators  who  sat  on  a  pile  of  rails  near  the 
outer  edge  of  the  dancing  circle.  War-clubs  and 
seal  ping-knives  were  in  the  hands  of  many  of  the 
dancers,  and  were  flourished  with  unusual  defiance. 
In  passing  the  rail-pile  on  which  the  soldiers  were 
seated,  one  particularly  offensive  savage  made  a 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  147 

pass  as  if  to  grab  the  scalp-lock  of  a  spectator,  then 
flourished  his  wicked  knife  as  if  in  the  act  of  cutting" 
a  throat  or  lifting  a  scalp.  The  spectators,  all  sol- 
diers of  the  garrison,  were  utterly  unarmed.  At  this 
juncture  Cut-Nose  interposed  himself  between  the 
circle  and  the  pile  of  rails,  and  proposed  the  sale  of 
his  pipe  to  one  of  the  soldiers,  and  while  the  deal 
was  being  consummated  a  general  hegira  of  blue- 
coats  was  started  in  the  direction  of  the  garrison, 
so  that  the  purchaser  of  the  Cut-Nose  pipe  with 
surprise  found  himself  deserted  by  his  unarmed 
companions,  but  lost  no  time  in  imitating  the  dis- 
cretion said  to  be  the  better  part  of  valor. 

The  threatening  demonstrations  had  by  this  time 
roused  the  whole  post  to  the  extent  of  causing  the 
leveling  of  several  pieces  of  artillery,  full-shotted, 
upon  the  frenzied  warriors.  The  wiser  heads  among 
the  red  men  knew  this  was  not  the  time  and  place 
for  hostilities,  and  they  were  told  through  Interpre- 
ter Quinn  their  conduct  was  becoming  displeasing, 
and  likely  to  get  them  into  trouble.  They  learned 
the  guns  were  trained  on  them,  and  ceased  their  war- 
dance  with  a  suddenness  betokening  acumen  not  al- 
ways ascribed  to  the  savage. 

While  the  unusual  conduct  of  the  Indians  in  their 
dance  was  the  talk  of  the  garrison  during  the  even- 
ing, no  one  believed  it  had  serious  portent,  but 
rather  thought  it  merely  the  result  of  excitement 
and  indiscretion  on  the  part  of  vagabond  individuals. 
In  less  than  a  week  after  that  time  the  whole  fron- 
tier was  strewn  with  death  and  distructior^  and 
these  same  warriors  who  had  visited  us,  possibly 
on  a  tour  of  inspection,  were  among  the  forces  that 


148  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

desperately  attempted  to  take  the  Fort ;  and  the 
hideous-faced  Cut-Nose,  whose  name  was  derived 
from  his  having  lost  the  outer  part  of  his  right 
nostril  in  a  fight  with  Other  Day  in  past  years,  dis- 
tinguished himself  in  the  massacre  for  some  of  the 
most  fiendish  deeds  conceivable,  and  for  which  he 
paid  the  death  penalty  by  hanging  after  the  out- 
break.* 

I  recall  that  among  the  number  on  the  above  visit 
was  old  Betz,  a  squaw  everywhere  renowned  for  her 
great  age,  which  was  said  to  be  at  the  time  of  their 
visit,  120  years.  No  trader's  or  pioneer's  memory 
could  recall  when  Betz  was  not  old.  She  was  not 
very  tall  of  stature,  but  was  quite  fleshy.  Her  at- 
tire was  not  catchy,  and  her  hair,  in  appearance, 
had  not  been  combed  for  years.  Betz  was  a  child 
of  the  simple  life.  She  lived  close  to  nature,  and 

*Much  was  made  of  this  incident  by  those  sensationally  inclined,  and  in  a 
history  published  in  1863,  dealing  largely  with  the  Sioux  Massacre  and  the 
causes  leading  up  to  it,  it  was  stated  on  the  authority  of  a  mysterious  somebody, 
a  Frenchman,  whose  name  could  not  be  used,  that  this  visit  was  a  part  of  a 
preconceived  plan  to  precipitate  a  general  massacre  of  the.  whites  by  taking  the 
Fort  at  this  time.  Interrogated  as  to  this  visit  and  its  significance  a  year  follow- 
ing the  massacre,  Chaska,  Paul  and  other  Indians  who  were  conversant  with 
matters  pertaining  to  the  massacre,  expressed  positiveness  that  there  was  no  plan 
hatched  in  the  "Soldier's  Lodge,"  an  Indian  organization,  for  an  uprising,  of 
which  this  visit  was  •  part.  The  incident  at  Fort  Ridgely  was  without  any 
special  significance,  the  indiscretion  of  the  band  being  due  to  discontent  rather 
than  to  premeditated  design  upon  the  Fort,  and  as  for  th«  demonstration  at  Yel- 
low Medicine  on  the  4th  of  August,  it  was  the  natural  result  of  hunger  and  dis- 
appointment, as  was  well  understood  by  the  officers  and  men  of  our  regiment 
who  were  at  Yellow  Medicine  at  the  time  to  attend  the  payment,  and  who 
realizing  the  seriousness  of  the  situation  and  the  sufferings  to  which  the  Indians 
were  subjected,  urged  upon  Agent  Galbraith  the  importance  of  issuing  at  least 
food  enough  to  prevent  starvation,  but  without  avail  until  the  hungry  savages,  in 
their  desperate  straits,  forced  a  crisis. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  149 

was  an  economist.  She  knew  that  opulence  only 
came  to  those  who  were  willing:  to  practice  economy. 
She  had  a  hectoring  suspicion  that  there  were  things 
in  the  swill-barrel  outside  the  barracks  kitchen  that 
ought  to  be  stimulating  pancreatic  activity,  and  not 
infrequently  did  she  penetrate  the  mysteries  of  that 
receptacle  to  her  elbows,  in  quest  of  specimens  of 
vegetable  matter  or  of  discarded  samples  of  the 
baker's  handicraft,  bearing  them  away  in  her  short 
skirt,  which  she  deftly  gathered  into  the  form  of  a 
basket  for  the  purpose,  and  flinging  a  cold  potato 
at  the  head  of  the  blue-jacket  who  essayed  to  eye  her 
pastime  curiously,  emphasizing  her  effort  with  the 
one  word  Betz  never  got  too  old  to  hiss  forth  in  scorn- 
ful accents:  "Se-chee!"  (bad.)  This  venerable 
dame  had  never  cultivated  the  art  of  "growing  old 
gracefully,"  and  was  always  cross  and  irritable, 
much  to  her  disadvantage  among  the  soldiers,  who, 
though  respecting  her  years,  and  always  kindly  dis- 
posed toward  her,  could  not  resist  annoying  her  on 
her  occasional  visits  to  the  Fort. 


150  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


Incidents  of  the  Siege. 

Mark  M.  Greer,  Co.  C,  was  the  first  man  killed  in 
the  Fort,  a  bullet  from  the  enemy's  first  volley  caus- 
ing1 his  instant  death,  August  20th. 

William  Good,  corporal  of  Co.  B,  was  the  first 
man  wounded  in  the  first  day's  fight.  A  bullet  struck 
him  squarely  in  the  center  of  the  forehead,  pene- 
trating the  skull.  Good  was  supposed  to  have  been 
instantly  killed,  and  while  he  later  gave  signs  of 
life,  this  manifestation  was  accepted  as  merely  an 
evidence  of  the  great  vitality  he  was  known  to  pos- 
sess. The  bullet  could  not  be  removed,  but  under 
surgical  skill  not  less  remarkable  than  his  vitality, 
he  recovered  to  live  for  several  years,  a  greater 
mental  than  physical  sufferer,  however. 

Among1  the  severely  wounded,  Robert  J.  Spornitz, 
Co.  B,  was  an  early  victim  in  the  first  day's  battle, 
a  shot  entering  one  check  and  passing  out  at  the 
other,  tearing:  away  the  roof  of  his  mouth.  He,  like 
Good,  survived  for  many  years. 

Andrew  Rufredge,  Co.  B,  one  of  Lieutenant  Gere's 
men  at  the  northeast  angle,  and  a  supporter  of 
Whipple's  gun,  was,  like  Spornitz,  the  victim  of  a 
frightful  wound  in  the  first  day's  engagement,  the 
ball  in  the  case  of  Rufredge  cutting  the  lower  jaw 
off  well  back  towards  the  ears. 

One  of  the  most  pathetic  incidents  of  the  siege 
occurred  in  connection  with  the  wounding  of  Ruf- 
redge. One  of  the  Rieke  boys,  a  mere  youth  of  six- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  151 

teen  or  seventeen  years,  was  assisting  in  carrying 
and  passing  ammunition  for  the  Whipple  cannon. 
While  turned  away  from  the  gun  in  his  work,  Ruf- 
redge  had  received  his  wound,  and  had  fallen  upon 
his  back,  his  lower  jaw  dropping1  upon  his  neck  and 
breast.  When  the  young  German  turned  to  pass 
to  the  gunners  the  ammunition  he  held,  Rufredge 
lay  at  his  feet,  and  the  horrible  spectacle  so  shock- 
ed and  appalled  the  boy  that  he  fell,  and  a  few  mo- 
ments later  died  in  his  sister's  arms,while  Rufredge, 
under  masterful  surgical  skill,  survived. 

Sergeant  Frank  A.  Blackmer,  Co.  C,  received 
what  was  supposed  to  be  a  mortal  wound,  but  cling- 
ing tenaciously  to  life,  recovered.* 

One  of  the  Renville  Rangers,  a  three-quarters 
blood  Indian,  deserted  to  the  enemy  in  the  night, 
first  succeeding  in  plugging  the  parked  cannon  with 
rags,  to  render  them  ineffective  for  quick  service. 
The  Renville  Rangers,  who  were  brave  and  loyal 
men,  felt  keenly  the  disgrace  brought  upon  them 
by  this  traitor  to  the  cause  they  were  upholding. 

When  the  siege  was  finally  raised,  the  great  mass 
of  refugees  for  the  first  time  fully  realized  their 
utterly  destitute,  helpless  and  bereft  condition. 
The  fear  that  had  terrorized  their  hearts  was  remov- 
ed. The  protecting  arm  that  had  shielded  them 
during  the  days  and  nights  of  danger  at  the  Fort 
could  not  follow  them  into  the  world;  without  homes 
to  welcome  them  or  friends  to  comfort  them,  they 
must  turn  away  in  utter  destitution.  Desperate  as 
had  been  their  condition,  the  crisis  was  not  reach- 
ed until  now.  The  conditions  were  so  exacting 

*In  later  yean  he  became  a  prominent  physician  at  Albert  Lea,  Minnesota. 


152  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

when  these  unfortunate  people  came  into  the  FortT 
and  during  the  siegre,  that  no  attempt  could  be  made 
at  keeping:  a  record  of  their  names,  and  when  relief 
came,  it  was  to  a  garrison  so  exhausted  that  this 
task  was  quite  impossible.  The  mass  of  humanity 
finally  became  assimilated  by  the  world  at  large, 
leaving  no  trace  of  individuality  in  history. 

On  the  18th,  the  day  of  the  massacre  at  Redwood, 
the  long-looked  for  funds  for  the  Indian  payment 
reached  the  Fort.  The  fatal  delay  had  only  that 
morning  borne  its  bitter  fruit.  The  sum,  $71,000, 
was  in  gold  coin,  and  was  in  charge  of  C.  G.  Wykoff, 
clerk  of  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  J.  C. 
Ramsey,  and  E.  A.  C.  Hatch.  The  funds  were  kept 
under  strong  guard  until  after  the  siege  was  raised. 
Had  Little  Crow  known  this  treasure  was  in  the 
garrison,  he  might,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
already  killed  the  hated  traders,  who  always  sat  at 
the  pay-table,  have  persisted  in  attempts  to  take 
the  Fort,  which  he  could  have  done  in  the  desperate 
straits  to  which  the  garrison  was  reduced. 

Not  only  in  the  exhaustion  of  its  supply  of  ammu- 
nition, was  the  garrison  on  the  verge  of  collapse  at 
the  time  of  the  last  attack,  but  a  really  more  se- 
rious crisis  had  been  reached  if  possible,  in  the 
complete  exhaustion  of  the  water  supply.  On  the 
day  of  the  outbreak,  August  18th,  all  available 
barrels,  tanks,  tubs  and  other  vessels,  were  filled 
by  hauling  water  from  the  spring,  the  accustomed 
source,  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  Fort,  to  meet  a 
possible  emergency.  The  supply  had  been  con- 
sumed to  the  dregs,  and  a  replenishment  was  only 
attempted  when  the  unendurable  necessities  of  the 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  153 

garrison,  with  its  refugee  mass,  compelled  it,  and 
the  obtaining  of  water  was  only  accomplished 
finally  at  great  hazard  and  under  trying  hardships. 


About  Losses. 

The  story  of  the  Sioux  Massacre  of  1862,  cruel 
and  revolting,  has  never  been  fully  told,  and  never 
will  be.  What  was  essentially  descriptive  of  the 
appalling  tragedy  enacted  along  the  Minnesota  fron- 
tier, was  given  in  brief  narratives  from  individual 
view-points  at  the  time  of  occurrence,  and  were 
reasonably  accurate  and  faithful  in  narration,  but 
limited  in  scope,  especially  as  to  the  extent  and 
consequences  of  the  tragedy.  One  chronicler  who 
went  well  into  details,  and  practically  the  only  one 
who  attempted  to  write  a"history,"  converts  tragedy 
into  farce-comedy  when  he  sums  up  the  results  of 
the  defenders  of  the  frontier  by  stating  seriously 
that  the  total  number  of  Indians  killed  by  troops 
and  settlers  during  the  massacre,  from  August  18th, 
exclusive  of  the  battle  of  Wood  Lake,  was  just 
twenty-one.  His  enumeration  of  the  savages  slain 
is  as  follows  :  "At  the  battle  of  Redwood  Ferry,  1 ; 
New  Ulm,  5 ;  Fort  Ridgely,  2 ;  Big  Woods  at  or 
near  Forest  City,  1 ;  Birch  Coulie ;  2 ;  at  Battle  of 
Acton,  with  Strout,  1 ;  Hutchinson,  1 ;  Spirit  Lake, 
1 ;  at  Shetek,  by  Duly,  1 ;  near  Omahaw,  1 ;  Aber- 
crombie,  4  ;  between  Fort  Ridgely  and  New  Ulm, 
half-breed,  1.  Total  21."  Serio-comically  the  his- 
torian assures  his  readers  of  the  accuracy  of  his 
figures  for  two  reasons  ;  first,  by  asking  the  Indians 


154  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

to  give  him  the  number  of  their  losses,  and  second- 
ly, by  verifying  their  report  by  hunting:  for  dead  In- 
dians several  days  after  the  battles  were  fought. 

The  historian  however  rendered  too  much  valu- 
able service  in  compiling  historical  information  to 
be  taken  seriously  to  task  for  his  faulty  conclusion 
in  the  matter  of  Indian  losses,  which  no  doubt  ex- 
ceeded his  figures  more  than  ten  to  one.  During 
the  two  days'  battle  at  Fort  Ridgely  a  ton  of  ammu- 
nition was  fired.  At  times  the  enemy  was  closely 
massed  at  short  range.  One  double-shotted  charge 
from  Jones'  gun  at  the  southwest  angle  of  the  garri- 
son on  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day's  fight,  when 
the  Indians  had  moved  up  in  close  order,  under 
Little  Crow's  command  to  club  their  guns  and  rush 
in,  mowed  down  seventeen  Indians,  most  of  the  m 
killed.  This  was  but  one  shot  out  of  scores  made 
under  conditions  rendering  it  impossible  that  the 
enemy  could  have  escaped  without  great  loss.  In 
fact  had  not  the  fire  of  the  garrison  been  deadly  at 
every  point  of  concentration  of  the  foe,  nothing 
would  have  prevented  a  charge,  the  one  thing  Little 
Crow  realized  would  give  him  the  prize  he  so  earn- 
estly coveted — Fort  Ridgely.  So  ineffective  a  fire 
as  the  historian  suggests  would  have  merited  the 
contempt  of  the  savages,  and  the  garrison  would 
have  been  blotted  out  in  short  order.  On  the  after- 
noon of  August  27th,  the  post  having  finally  been 
relieved  on  the  morning  of  that  day,  of  its  great 
strain  and  long  vigil,  John  McCole,  of  the  Renville 
Rangers,  and  the  writer,  entered  the  river  valley 
from  a  quarter  to  a  half  mile  southwest  of  the  garri- 
son, where  we  found  a  small  abandoned  cellar  or 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  155 

"dug-out,"  in  which  were  seven  dead  warriors, 
partially  concealed  by  earth  that  had  been  dug  from 
the  overhanging  embankment  to  cover  them. 
Two  other  decomposing  bodies  were  found  in  the 
underbrush  near  the  cellar.  It  is  the  custom  of  In- 
dians to  completely  bear  their  dead  from  the  field 
of  battle,  and  entirely  beyond  discovery,  if  not  over- 
tasked with  the  burden,  or  too  hard  pressed  by  their 
enemy.  The  nine  bodies  above  noted  were  probably 
about  one-tenth  of  the  Indians  killed  during  the 
siege  of  Fort  Ridgely,  and  the  casualties  sustained 
by  Indians  in  other  engagements  were  proportionate- 
ly large. 

The  battle  at  the  Redwood  Ferry  was  desperate 
and  at  very  short  range.  In  fact  it  was  almost 
hand-to-hand,  and  the  few  men  who  fought  their 
way  out  of  the  ambuscade  did  so  over  the  dead 
bodies  of  many  of  their  foe.  To  say  that  but  one 
Indian  was  killed  in  this  engagement  is  to  ridicule 
the  brave  fellows  who  cut  their  way  through  the 
savage  cordon  in  the  most  desperate  battle  of  the 
massacre. 


156  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


Talks  of  Cruelty  as  Told  by  Refugees. 

When  we  touch  the  subject  of  Indian  cruelty,  as 
practiced  on  the  helpless  victims  along:  the  Minne- 
sota frontier  during1  the  Massacre  of  1862,  we  enter 
upon  a  phase  of  the  horrible  uprising1  that  rouses 
every  feeling  of  resentment  of  which  human  nature 
is  capable.  How  even  savages  in  this  age  could 
perpetrate  or  approve  such  fiendish  deeds  as  were 
committed,  passes  understanding.  Even  infants 
were  tortured  in  a  manner  that  would  put  to  blush 
and  shame  the  imps  of  the  infernal  regions.  The 
stories  told  by  the  refugees  from  the  settlements, 
who  straggled  into  Fort  Ridgely  the  first  two  or 
three  days  of  the  Massacre,  no  one  has  ever  attempt- 
ed to  literally  repeat.  Chapters  have  been  written 
on  the  Massacre  at  the  Agency  and  the  ferry,  and  up- 
on the  attacks  on  Fort  Ridgely  and  New  Ulm,  but 
no  writer  has  ever  given  to  the  world  an  account  of 
the  awful  scenes  through  which  most  of  these  ref- 
ugees passed ;  and  perhaps  it  is  best  that  it  is  so. 
Wounded,  persecuted,  hunted,  they  were  half  crazed, 
their  agonies  of  heart  and  body  uncontrollable, 
while  yet  their  tales  of  horror  would  dismay  even 
the  stoutest-hearted  listener.  Some  had  by  apparent 
miracle  wrested  themselves  from  the  very  jaws  of 
death  when  the  overpowering  hand  was  raised  to 
deal  the  fatal  stroke,  as  was  the  case  of  one  woman 
whose  husband,  after  felled  to  rise  no  more,  shot  her 
assailant  with  the  gun  held  in  his  death-clutch,  per- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  157 

ishing:  himself,  but  momentarily  dumbfounding: 
their  assailants,  during:  which  the  wife  escaped, 
first  into  a  cornfield  near  the  house,  and  then  by 
concealing:  herself  in  a  clump  of  hig:h  weeds  a  few 
rods  distant,  where  she  was  compelled  to  hear  the 
heartrending-  cries  of  the  man  who  had  defended 
her  to  the  last,  and  who,  for  his  act  in  dispatching: 
her  assailant,  was  being:  tortured  by  every  conceiv- 
able device  to  make  his  death  one  of  prolonged 
agony.  When  the  shrieking:  and  moaning:  of  the 
helpless  victim  would  die  away,  the  cruel  knife 
would  be  applied  to  ag:ain  awaken  the  dying:  man 
into  new  suffering:,  until  finally  silence  told  the  tale 
of  death.  The  screams  and  shrieks  of  her  two 
children,  as  if  the  heart  of  the  poor  woman  had  not 
suffered  its  full  measure  of  torture,  rang:  piercingly 
in  the  ears  of  the  crouching:,  cringing:  mother,  who 
could  scarcely  keep  her  hiding:,  thougft  she  knew 
that  death  by  unspeakable  means  would  be  the  only 
result  of  her  attempt  to  rescue  those  being:  fiendish- 
ly tortured  and  mutilated  and  finally  murdered.  To 
have  been  permitted  to  die  a  death  worthy  of  a  g:reat 
cause,  would  have  been  tenfold  more  acceptable  to 
this  poor,  wretched  woman,  than  to  save  her  own 
life  while  those  near  and  dear  to  her  were  being: 
cruelly  put  to  death,  but  instinct  admonished  her 
of  the  worse  than  death  she  would  suffer  for  reveal- 
ing: herself,  without  being:  able  to  render  assistance. 
Death  having:  stilled  the  cries  of  the  unfortunate 
victims  who  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  fiends, 
the  house  was  plundered  and  the  torch  applied,  and 
having:  apparently  satiated  their  thirst  for  blood, 
the  savages,  loaded  with  plunder,  took  the  only 


158  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

family  horse  from  the  stable  and  made  off,  without 
farther  search  for  the  wife  and  mother,  who  had 
escaped  with  her  clothing:  half  torn  from  her  body. 
Distracted  with  gfrief  and  racked  with  fear,  she  lay 
in  hiding:  until  after  sundown,  when,  with  faltering: 
step,  first  wildly  scanning:  the  surroundings  in  fear 
of  a  concealed  savag:e,  she  ventured  to  the  ruins  of 
their  smoulding:  home,  where  she  found  the  bodies 
of  her  children,  frightfully  disfigured,  and  that  of 
her  husband,  he  having:  been  scalped  and  otherwise 
mutilated  almost  beyond  recognition,  and  his  body 
partially  charred. 

Before  the  darkness  closed  about  her,  destitute, 
homeless  and  friendless,  she  turned  her  face  to- 
ward the  only  known  place  of  refug:e,  Fort  Ridg:e- 
ly,  which  she  reached  on  the  morning  of  Aug:ust  21st, 
more  naked  than  clad,  and  frenzied  with  the  mental 
and  physical  strain  which  had  wellnig:h  unhinged 
her  reason. 

And  so  the  historian  mig:ht  recount  the  tales  of 
horror  of  one-half  of  the  three  hundred  refugees  who 
had  made  their  way  from  the  raided  settlements  to 
the  Fort,  for  such  a  mass  of  quivering:  humanity ; 
such  a  collection  of  maimed,  suffering:  people  ;  such 
a  gathering:  of  odds  and  ends  of  blasted  and  oblit- 
erated homes  and  of  half-crazed  victims  of  the  most 
diabolical  crimes  ever  devised,  was  rarely  ever  be- 
fore brought  into  one  collection.  The  terror  with 
which  their  souls  were  stricken  had  written  its  tale 
of  horror  on  every  face.  The  refugees  had  many 
of  them  come  from  remote  settlements,  over  a  track- 
less country,  often  without  shoes  to  protect  their 
bleeding:  feet,  or  raiment  to  hide  their  nakedness, 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  159 

every  step  of  the  way  taken  with  fear  and  tremb- 
ling, without  sleep,  rest  or  sustenance,  and  persecut- 
ed by  the  hideous  scenes  witnessed  in  the  ravishing , 
slaying  and  maiming  of  dear  ones  of  the  home  circle. 
It  is  best,  I  repeat,  that  the  shocking  details  of  the 
sufferings  of  these  refugees  were  never  handed 
down  to  history. 

What  befell  their  friends  and  what  they  narrow- 
ly escaped  may  readily  be  inferred  from  a  few  ran- 
dom instances  of  cruelty  common  to  the  Massacre 
along  the  entire  frontier  devastated. 

Below  Yellow  Medicine  a  few  miles,  on  the  east 
side  of  tbe  Minnesota  River,  twenty-seven  dead 
bodies  were  found  in  one  group,  the  only  living 
creature  being  a  babe  that  had  escaped  the  toma- 
hawk to  finally  die  of  starvation  at  its  dead  mother's 
breast.  In  a  building  near  the  scene  of  this  ghast- 
ly spectacle  were  found  by  Antoine  Freniere,  Gov- 
ernment interpreter,  seven  small  children,  who  were 
later  burned  alive  by  the  Indians,  together  with  the 
house  the  helpless  little  creatures  occupied. 
Freniere  was  compelled  to  fly  for  his  life,  and  could 
do  nothing  for  the  children. 

August  20th  a  party  of  Indians  visited  the  home 
of  a  farmer  named  Anderson,  with  whom  they  were 
acquainted,  and  whose  family  had  often  befriended 
them,  in  what  is  now  Kandiyohi  (then  Monongalia) 
county.  They  asked  for  favors  which  were  grant- 
ed them,  and  without  a  sign  of  their  evil  purposes, 
while  they  were  being  waited  upon,  shot  down  the 
defenseless  man  who,  without  suspecting  harm, 
was  good-naturedly  serving  them.  They  had,  among 
other  things,  asked  for  potatoes,  and  Anderson  had 


160  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

sent  his  boy  to  dig  them,  and  while  the  boy  engag- 
ed  in  the  task  they  shot  him  dead,  almost  at  the  in- 
stant his  father  was  murdered.  Mrs.  Anderson  ran 
into  the  cellar  with  a  small  child,  and  having  been 
unobserved,  escaped,  the  Indians  having  failed  to 
burn  the  house.  A  daughter,  Julia,  fourteen  years 
of  age,  seized  a  sister  of  ten  years,  and  succeeded 
in  hiding  in  the  weeds  near  the  house.  These  were 
prizes  for  which  the  Indians  made  diligent  search, 
and  whom  they  finally  discovered.  The  girls  were 
borne  away  on  a  pony,  but  night  coming  on  they 
were  taken  but  a  short  distance,  where  the  savages 
camped.  The  girls  passed  a  horrible  night.  The 
Indians,  next  morning*  discovered  their  ponies  had 
stampeded,  and  in  the  excitement  incident,  hurried 
in  pursuit  of  them.  The  girls  made  their  escape, 
and  although  hunted  excitedly,  succeeded  in  elud- 
ing their  captors.  After  two  days  and  nights  of  ex- 
cruciating hardships  they  reaphed  Forest  City,  hav- 
ing covered  a  distance  of  some  thirty  miles.  They 
emerged  from  the  brush  into  a  road  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  their  home  in  their  flight,  where  they  stum- 
bled upon  the  bodies  of  two  neighbors— Backlund 
and  Lorentson.  The  heads  of  both  these  men  had 
been  chopped  off.  Lorentson's  scalp  had  been  rer 
moved,  and  the  skin,  with  the  ears  attached,  had 
been  torn  from  his  face.  The  heads  of  the  two  men 
were  set  up  side  by  side,  with  their  hats  on.  ,  Back- 
lund evidently  used  snuff,  for  his  snuff-box  was 
placed  near  his  face,  while  his  severed  right  hand, 
lying  by  the  side  of  his  head,  held  between  the 
thumb  and  finger,  placed  there  derisively,  a  pinch 
of  snuff. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  161 

The  gratification  of  lustful  passions  led  to  some 
of  the  most  fiendish  abuses  and  cruelties  ever  re- 
corded, and  while  the  world  should  know  the  truth 
as  a  part  of  the  history  of  this  awful  Massacre, 
crimes  and  cruelties  of  this  nature  are  too  forbid- 
ding1 to  pass  to  the  pages  of  a  book. 

Dr.  Humphrey,  the  Government  physician  at  the 
Lower  Agency,  a  man  who  had  done  much  for 
the  Indians,  was  overtaken  when  endeavoring  to 
make  his  escape  from  Redwood  to  the  Fort  with 
his  family,  and  was  slain,  as  were  his  wife  and  two 
children,  a  third  child,  a  boy,  escaping  by  having 
been  sent  to  a  spring  in  a  concealed  spot  for  drink- 
ing water,  he  having  heard  the  shooting  a  few  yards 
away  in  time  to  hide.  Dr.  Humphrey  was  shocking- 
ly mutilated,  his  head  being  severed  from  his  body. 
Emerging  from  his  concealment  when  all  was  quiet, 
the  boy  who  went  to  the  spring,  cautiously  return- 
ed to  where  he  had  left  the  family,  only  to  find  his 
father  dead  and  the  bodies  of  his  mother  and  little 
brother  and  sister  burned  in  the  house  at  which 
they  had  stopped  to  rest  and  get  a  drink,  that  of 
Mayner,  on  the  fort  road. 

From  a  murdered  family  near  New  Ulm,  one  little 
fellow,  supposed  to  have  been  killed,  had  revived 
and  was  rescued.  The  bodies  of  all  the  family  had 
been  frightfully  mutilated,  and  the  ball  of  one  of 
the  eyes  of  the  little  boy  who  survived,  had  been 
dug  out  with  a  knife,  and  lay  suspended  upon  his 
cheek,  in  a  state  of  putrefaction. 

Near  New  Ulm  Wak-pa-doo-ta  went  to  a  house 
and  looking  through  a  window,  saw  a  sick  woman 
lying  on  a  bed.  He  fired  through  the  window  and 


162  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

wounded  her.  At  this  an  old  man  was  seen  to  make 
his  way  up  stairs.  Fearing  the  old  man  was  after 
a  gun,  and  too  cowardly  to  take  any  chances,  the 
Indians  fired  the  house  and  burned  the  occupants 
to  death. 

Mauley,  the  Redwood  ferryman,  was  a  mark  of 
special  vengeance,  no  doubt  because  of  the  fact  of 
his  having  sacrificed  every  personal  opportunity  of 
escape  to  save  those  whom  the  Indians  had  hoped 
would  be  unable  to  pass  the  river  barrier;  but 
Mauley  stood  at  his  post  until  the  last  to  reach  the 
ferry  in  advance  of  the  savages  had  been  transfer- 
red to  the  side  of  possible  safety.  Highly  incensed 
that  he  should  have  saved  so  many  from  their  bloody 
clutches,  he  was  shot  down  at  his  post,  and  before 
life  was  extinct  he  was  disemboweled,  and  his 
hands,  feet  and  head  were  cut  off  and  thrust  within 
his  bleeding  body. 

The  Lake  Shetek  settlement,  in  Murray  county, 
was  attacked  by  Lean  Bear,  who  first  attained 
prominence  at  the  council  of  Traverse  des  Sioux 
in  1852.  Sleepy  Eye  and  White  Lodge  joined  him 
with  their  bands.  The  crimes  and  cruelties  per- 
petrated in  this  settlement  were  shocking  in  the  ex- 
treme, with  but  one  compensating  result — the  death 
of  Lean  Bear— who  fell  at  the  hands  of  a  settler, 
William  J.  Duly.  The  wife  and  two  children  of 
Duly  were  taken  captives,  as  were  a  Mrs.  Wight 
and  child,  and  a  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Everett.  The 
prisoners  were  carried  to  the  Missouri  River,  the 
tortuous  journey  covering  a  distance  of  seven  or 
eight  hundred  miles.  The  children  were  mostly 
murdered  in  cold  blood  in  the  presence  of  the  power- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  163 

less  mothers. 

And  so  might  this  chapter  of  horrors  be  lengthen- 
ed into  a  hundred  pages,  with  sickening  details  yet 
untold ;  but  more  than  enough  has  already  been  re- 
corded, except  for  the  fact  that  the  future  has  a 
right  to  know  the  price  paid  by  the  advance-guard 
of  civilization  for  the  heritage  to  be  enjoyed  by  un- 
ending generations. 


164  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 


Execution  of  Thirty-Eight  Indians. 

After  the  surrender  at  Camp  Release  a  commis- 
sion was  appointed  by  Gen.  H.  H.  Sibley,  who  had 
command  of  the  forces  on  the  Minnesota  frontier, 
for  the  trial  of  Indians  implicated  in  the  Massacre. 
The  original  commission  was  composed  as  follows  : 
Colonel  William  Crooks,  of  the  Sixth  Minnesota  In- 
fantry Volunteers,  Colonel  William  R.  Marshall,  of 
the  Seventh,  Captain  Hiram  P.  Grant,  Co.  A.  and 
Capt.  Hiram  S.  Bailey,  Co.  C,  both  of  the  Sixth, 
and  Lieutenant  R.  C.  Olin,  Co.  B,  third  Minnesota. 
Of  this  commission  Col.  Crooks  was  president,  and 
Lieutenant  Olin  judge  advocate.  The  commission 
held  its  first  session  at  Camp  Release  on  the  30th 
of  September,  and  its  last  one  at  Fort  Snelling  Nov- 
ember 5th,  1862,  sessions  having  been  held  at  va- 
rious other  points  mean  time.  This  commission 
tried  425  Indians  and  half-breeds  on  the  charge  of 
murderous  participation  in  the  Massacre,  and  of 
these  321  were  convicted,  303  being  sentenced  to 
death,  while  the  remainder  were  sentenced  to  pay 
lighter  penalties.  The  East  set  up  the  cry  that 
these  people  were  prisoners  of  war,  and  that  it 
would  be  a  crime  against  the  nation  to  permit  of 
this  wholesale  execution.  As  a  result  an  investi- 
gation was  made  by  the  general  government  out  of 
which  grew  an  order  from  President  Lincoln  that 
thirty-nine  of  the  condemned  Indians  be  hanged  on 
the  26th  day  of  December,  1862,  at  Mankato,  and 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  165 

that  the  remainder  of  the  condemned  savages  be 
held  to  await  further  orders.  After  thirty-nine  of 
the  most  guilty  had  been  selected,  one  was  pardon- 
ed by  President  Lincoln,  and  the  thirty-eight  were 
executed  as  ordered,  one  large  scaffold  sufficing  for 
the  entire  number. 

Not  an  Indian  was  self-convicted.  All  swore 
positively  to  child-like  innocence,  and  affected 
amazement  that  they  had  been  accused.  One  negro, 
Godfrey,  who  lived  among  the  Sioux,  was  among 
those  executed.  His  pica  of  innocence  availed  him 
nothing,  as  he,  like  Cut  Nose,  was  known  to  have 
committed  some  of  the  most  monstrous  crimes  ever 
charged  up  to  the  account  of  a  fiend. 

The  final  death  sentence  was  promulgated  on  the 
6th  of  December,  just  twenty  days  prior  to  the  date 
of  execution. 

Passing  from  crime  to  punishment,  the  scenes 
that  followed  the  sentence  were  without  a  parallel 
in  our  national  history. 

The  condemned  in  the  main  accepted  their  fate 
philosophically.  They  were  treated  with  humane 
consideration  by  the  officials  in  whose  charge  they 
were,  pending  the  final  act.  They  were  privileged 
to  select  their  spiritual  advisers  according  to  their 
individual  preferences,  and  each  made  his  choice. 
The  condemned  received  much  comfort  from  the 
Christian  influences  thus  brought  about  them.  As 
the  day  for  the  execution  drew  near  the  condemn- 
ed were  permitted  to  receive  friends  from  among 
their  fellow-prisoners  who  had  escaped  the  death 
sentence.  Through  these,  farewells  were  sent  to 
family  friends,  and  many  little  keepsakes  were  com- 


166  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

mitted  to  the  hands  of  those  present  to  accompany 
the  parting  messages. 

The  condemned  were  never  too  deeply  distressed 
to  enjoy  their  pipes,  and  for  the  fatal  scene  upon 
the  scaffold  arranged  their  hair  and  painted  their 
faces  with  painstaking  effort.  At  the  appointed 
moment  the  condemned  arose  from  a  sitting  or  re- 
clining posture  and  walked  with  steady  step  to  the 
death-trap,  apparently  glad  the  suspense  was  to  be 
ended.  There  was  no  lagging.  Every  wretch  was 
self-supporting  and  active,  all  chanting  the  death 
song.  William  J.  Duly,  of  Lake  Shetek,  whose 
family  had  been  murdered  by  the  savages,  and  from 
whom  he  escaped  after  a  desperate  encounter  in 
which  he  killed  Lean  Bear,  was  privileged  to  spring 
the  trap  that  sent  the  thirty-eight  murderers  into 
eternity  at  one  stroke. 

Thousands  of  people  witnessed  the  execution. 
The  bodies  were  cut  down  after  death  was  pronounc- 
ed, and  carted  to  a  sand-bar  in  the  Minnesota  river, 
where  they  were  buried  in  one  trench.  After  a 
term  of  imprisonment,  the  convicted  savages  who 
had  escaped  the  hangman's  noose,  were  placed  up- 
on the  reservation  assigned  to  their  people  beyond 
the  borders  of  Minnesota. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE. 


167 


Dr.  Alfred  Muller. 

The  great  service 
rendered  by  Post 
Surgeon  Dr.  Alfred 
Muller  during  the 
siege  of  Fort  Ridge- 
ly,  has  never  been 
understood  or  pub- 
licly accredited.  Dr 
Muller  was  a  native 
of  Switzerland,  and 
had  acquired  his 
professional  knowl- 
edge in  the  land  of 
his  nativity.  The 
outbreak  filled  the 
post  hospital  with 
DR.  ALFRED  MULLER.  many  frightfully 
wounded  men.  Blodgett  was  shot  through  the  ab- 
domen, the  intestines  being  penetrated ;  Sutherland 
was  shot  through  the  right  lung,  the  ball  passing 
entirely  through  his  body ;  Good  was  shot  squarely 
in  the  forehead,  the  bullet  crashing  irrecoverably 
into  his  skull ;  Spornitz  was  shot  through  the  head  ; 
Rufredge  had  his  lower  jaw  entirely  severed  on 
both  sides ;  Blackmer  was  shot  in  the  head,  and 
many  wounded  were  brought  in  from  the  Agency 
and  the  settlements,  in  addition  to  others  wounded 
at  the  Fort.  The  record  made  in  these  cases  is  un- 


168  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

surpassed,  even  in  the  world-famed  Japanese  army 
hospital  service.  Not  a  man,  no  matter  how  seri- 
ously wounded  or  mutilated,  lost  his  life  after  reach- 
ing: the  care  of  Dr.  Muller,  nor  was  an  arm  or  leg 
amputated.  In  piling  up  work  for  Surgeon  Muller, 
events  followed  each  other  swiftly  under  the  rain 
of  fire  of  the  savages,  but  the  perception  of  Muller 
was  unerring,  his  execution  rapid  and  thorough,  and 
his  devotion  tireless.  His  surgical  record  is  ex- 
celled by  that  of  no  other,  in  or  out  of  the  army. 
A  few  years  after  the  close  of  the  civil  war,  his 
estimable  wife  having  died,  Dr.  Muller  left  his  New 
Ulm  home,  in  which  he  had  located  after  his  ser- 
vice, for  his  native  land,  where  he  died,  at  Berne. 
He  came  out  of  the  unique  Mountain  Republic  of 
Europe  like  a  ray  of  light  in  a  period  of  darkness, 
and  having  performed  his  mission,  returned  to  pay 
the  debt  of  Nature.  Minnesota  owes  much  to  his 
memory.* 

*Dr.  Muller  was  born  at  Berne,  Switzerland,  in  December,  1825,  graduating 
from  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  Berne  in  1851,  immigrating  to 
America  a  year  later.  Coming  to  Minnesota  in  1856,  he  located  at  Still watrr, 
where  he  practiced  his  profession  until  1861,  when  he  was  appointed  Post 
Surgeon  of  Fort  Ridgely,  where  he  remained  until  1867,  when  he  removed  to 
New  Ulm,  having  retired  from  army  service. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  169 


A  Woman  in  Battle. 

The  storm  of  battle  is  likely  to  strike  terror  to  the 
heart  of  the  true,  normally-poised  woman.  Even 
strong:  men,  whose  profession  is  war,  are  often  terror- 
stricken  with  the  first  shock  of  battle.  The  ordeal 
in  this  case  was  more  than  one  of  warfare.  The 
surroundings  were  inconceivably  trying1.  The  hun- 
dreds of  refugees  added  much  to  the  nerve-racking 
trials  of  the  hour.  Almost  without  exception  they 
were  from  homes  made  desolate  by  the  gun,  toma- 
hawk and  torch.  The  father,  usually  the  object  of 
first  attack  while  endeavoring  to  defend  his  family, 
rarely  made  his  escape,  but  under  cover  of  his  re- 
sistance occasionally  some  member  would  fly  unob- 
served in  the  awful  encounter  to  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment. If  the  home  was  not  wholly  taken  by  sur- 
prise, it  would  frequently  happen  that  by  conceal- 
ment, several  members  of  a  family  would  escape ; 
and  of  such  remnants  as  these  was  the  body  of  the 
refugees  at  the  Fort  made  up.  They  came,  often 
over  long  stretches  of  trackless  prairie,  being  guid- 
ed mainly  by  a  general  knowledge  of  the  location  of 
the  Fort,  making  their  way  with  the  greatest  caution. 
Whether  by  day  or  under  cover  of  darkness,  every 
step  was  taken  with  fear  and  trembling.  Reaching 
the  Fort  at  length,  famished  with  hunger  and  thirst, 
and  distracted  with  grief  and  sleepless  vigil,  they 
were  just  so  much  additional  fuel  to  the  flame  of 
pandemonium  that  reigned  at  the  post— a  condition 


170  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

in  itself  sufficient  to  unnerve  any  but  the  bravest 
and  most  resolute  man.  There  was  no  assuaging: 
the  grief  of  these  people,  some  half  bereft  of  their 
reason,  others  sick  and  others  wounded.  Human 
conception  is  inadequate  to  grasp  the  mental  and 
physical  torture  to  which  they  had  been  subjected. 
They  had  witnessed  scenes  no  pen  can  describe, 
and  had  suffered  sorrows  that  break  the  heart ;  and 
added  to  all  this  in  the  Fort  was  the  startling  reali- 
zation that  to  be  defeated  when  attacked  meant 
that  the  little  garrison  would  become  a  veritable 
slaughter  pen. 

Amid  scenes  and  conditions  of  this  character 
within,  and  the  din  of  battle  without,  accentuated 
by  hideous  yells,  increasing  in  fury  as  the  conflict 
grew  fiercer,  Mrs.  Alfred  Muller,  wife  of  Post  Sur- 
geon Dr.  Alfred  Muller,  was  a  notable  figure.  Mrs. 
Muller  was  in  the  prime  of  womanhood,  and  was 
well  known  to  all  the  little  garrison,  where,  with 
her  husband,  she  had  her  home.  In  the  days  when 
danger  was  unsuspected,  and  military  life  at  the 
post  was  of  the  commonplace  kind,  Mrs.  Muller  fill- 
ed her  wifely  sphere  with  becoming  womanliness. 
She  was  a  native  of  Switzerland,  and  a  good  type 
of  her  race.  She  was  retiring  rather  than  other- 
wise, but  always  at  ease  in  her  manner.  In  person- 
al appearance  she  was  of  medium  build,  cheerful  of 
disposition  and  comely  in  looks.  When  war  was 
precipitated  with  all  its  horrors  she  at  once  mani- 
fested a  personality  never  to  be  forgotten,  and  for 
which  she  deserves  to  live  forever  in  the  love  and 
esteem  of  the  Northwest. 

When  the  test  of  battle  came  there  was  no  shrink- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  171 

ing.  No  despairing  thought  revealed  itself  in  her 
modest  face.  If  fate  had  decreed  the  garrison  must 
fall,  she  did  not  shrink  from  bearing  her  part  brave- 
ly. Not  many  rifle  shots  had  spoken  in  startling 
tones  when  Mrs.  Muller  had  occupation  at  her  hus- 
band's side.  She  helped  to  stanch  the  flow  of  blood 
and  to  bind  ghastly  wounds.  She  spoke  words  of 
comfort  and  cheer  to  the  suffering,  and  her  kind 
heart  prompted  many  acts  of  gentleness  unusual  in 
the  activity  of  battle.  Wherever  she  was  her 
demeanor  was  reassuring,  and  whatever  she  did  her 
adaptability  was  an  inspiration.  "What  can  I  do," 
was  not  a  question  with  her,  but  rather  u  What  can 
I  not  do  ?" 

After  the  engagement  of  August  22nd  had  con- 
tinued for  hours,  it  was  found  the  supply  of  musket 
ammunition  was  exhausted.  The  depletion  of  the 
two  days  of  fighting  had  precipitated  a  crisis.  This 
necessitated  the  organization  of  a  corps  of  workers 
for  the  manufacture  of  such  ammunition  as  could 
be  extemporized.  Of  this  work  Mrs.  Muller  took 
charge,  and  through  her  gifted  versatility  she  soon 
became  an  expert  cartridge  maker,  and  taught 
many  other  hands,  now  enlisted  from  among  the 
useful  women  refugees,  the  art  of  dextrously  turn- 
ing out  ammunition,  for  which  there  was  the  most 
pressing  need. 

I  was  detailed  late  in  the  day  of  August  22nd  to 
obtain  a  supply  of  this  newly-made  ammunition, 
and  found  Mrs.  Muller  and  her  workers  busily  en- 
gaged in  a  little  room  on  the  first  floor  of  the  bar- 
racks. The  face  of  this  truly  heroic  woman  was 
intensely  impressive  to  the  glancing  eye.  There 


172  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

was  a  constant  crash  of  musketry  and  the  resound- 
ing: of  artillery  all  about  the  little  garrison,  the  din 
being:  almost  deafening:.  Amid  this  her  mental  poise 
was  perfect,  her  hand  steady,  her  eye  alert,  her 
voice  g:entle,  and  her  face  composed  and  natural. 
And  so  this  inestimable  woman,  from  day  to  day 
during:  the  sieg:e,  g:ave  evidence  of  the  most  sterling: 
qualities.  Without  price  or  the  thought  of  reward 
she  did  well  her  part  in  the  defense  of  Fort  Ridg:e- 

ly. 

It  is  said  regretfully  that  she  did  not  long:  survive 
the  restoration  of  peace  where  the  warlike  tempests 
had  rag:ed  that  developed  her  g:reat  worth  to  the 
Northwest,  and  particularly  to  Minnesota,  and  it  is 
fitting:  that  she  sleeps  in  the  Fort  Ridgfely  cemetery, 
where  the  State  of  Minnesota  has  equally  fittingly 
erected  a  monument  to  her  memory. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  173 


The  Grand  Old  Ferryman. 

One  of  the  noblest  characters  developed  by  the 
deluge  of  blood  that  made  crimson  the  Minnesota 
frontier,  was  the  ferryman,  Mauley,  at  the  cross- 
ing: of  the  Minnesota  River  at  the  Redwood  Agency. 
Self-preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature,  but 
there  are  times  when  some  men  become  more  than 
human,  and  rise  superior  to  this  selfish  law.  Mauley, 
the  plodding,  unlettered,  unobtrusive  old  ferryman 
was  such  a  man.  History  is  adorned  with  no  grander 
spectacle  than  was  exhibited  in  this  humble,  un- 
polished frontiersman,  and  of  all  heroes  who  won 
renown  in  that  conflict,  his  memory  should  have 
been  the  first  to  be  recognized  and  honored,  as  his 
was  the  first  great  service  rendered  when  the  trag- 
edy that  came  like  a  fiery  bolt  from  a  clear  sky, 
overwhelmed  the  Agency  in  the  early  morning  of 
August  18th. 

Plain  old  Frenchman!  He  was  but  a  grain  of 
dust  in  the  world  of  affairs.  Men  who  regarded 
themselves  as  of  superior  mould,  hardly  had  a  word 
for  him  as  they  passed,  his  calling  was  so  humble, 
his  life  so  simple  and  his  horizon  so  limited.  But 
sterling  manhood  abounded  within  his  noble  breast, 
and  when  the  terrible  calamity  befell  the  Agency, 
he  proved  a  hero  without  a  peer.  As  was  remark- 
ed of  him,  "This  humble  man  whom  nobody  cared 
for,  suddenly  seemed  to  care  for  everybody  but 
himself."  Those  who  escaped  the  gun  and  warclub 
at  the  Agency,  sought  safety  in  flight  by  way  of  the 


174  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

ferry,  where  all  found  the  sturdy  old  Frenchman  at 
his  post.  He  could  have  saved  his  own  life  with 
ease  and  certainty,  having:  had  ample  time  and 
warning",  but  he  thought  only  of  those  who  were  in 
peril,  and  to  the  music  of  splashing  lines  and  creak- 
ing pulleys  he  kept  his  boat  plying  back  and  forth 
until  the  overwhelming  wave  of  savages  reached 
the  river  bank.  He  had  just  saved  the  last  to  come 
or  at  least  had  transferred  across  the  sullen  barrier, 
the  last  to  reach  the  stream,  when,  in  a  towering 
rage  for  having  snatched  so  many  from  the  clutches 
of  the  swarming  demons,  he  was  shot  down  with 
fiendish  glee. 

Here  was  a  man  who  deliberately  gave  his  life 
that  others  might  live,— the  most  noble  sacrifice  a 
mortal  ever  made,  and  France,  the  land  that  gave 
him  birth,  may  well  be  proud  of  such  sons  ;  and 
may  his  memory  ever  be  cherished  and  perpetuated 
in  his  adopted  country  as  that  of  the  hero  of  heroes 
in  the  fiery  ordeal  that  tried  men's  souls  at  Red- 
wood, for  there  does  not  exist  in  history  a  nobler 
instance  of  intrepidity  or  greatness  of  soul  than 
this  man  exhibited.  The  rage  of  the  savages  knew 
no  bounds  when  they  discovered  this  faithful  ferry- 
man had  robbed  them  of  many  a  victim,  and  they 
avenged  themselves  upon  him  with  exultant  shouts 
arid  fiendish  cruelty,  disemboweling  him  before  life 
was  extinct,  and  then  cutting'  off  his  head,  hands 
and  feet  and  stuffing  them  into  the  bleeding  trunk. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  175 


John  McCole. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  in  point  of  satisfaction  to 
have  made  the  acquaintance  of  John  McCole  during: 
the  siege  of  Fort  Ridgely,  then  second  sergeant  of 
the  Renville  Rangers,  and  a  good  soldier.  Follow- 
ing the  Massacre,  the  Renville  Rangers  having 
merged  themselves  into  other  organizations,  we 
served  a  year  together  as  bedfellows  and  messmates. 
This  service,  during  1863,  was  in  the  Indian  country 
and  in  Indian  campaigns.  McCole  had  for  some  years 
been  a  clerk  and  an  accountant  in  one  of  the  stores 
at  the  Redwood  Agency,  and  had,  only  a  few  days 
before  the  outbreak,  enlisted  in  the  Renville  Ran- 
gers, with  a  view  to  going  south,  and  thus  escaped 
the  terrible  fate  of  his  former  employers  and  asso- 
ciates who  were  massacred  on  the  morning  of  Aug. 
18th.  McCole,  long  since  gathered  to  the  realms 
of  the  great  majority,  was  of  unusual  intellectual 
burnish,  and  of  a  fortunate,  gentle  disposition,  mak- 
ing him  a  favorite  with  all  who  knew  him.  His  pro- 
tracted service  in  the  stpre  of  one  of  the  leading 
traders  had  given  him  a  wide  acquaintance  among 
the  Indians,  whose  language  he  spoke  with  great 
fluency.  On  the  Sibley  Expedition  of  1863  were 
seventy-five  Sioux  scouts,  whom  McCole  knew  fa- 
miliarly, and  with  whom,  at  intervals,  I  was  afford- 
ed through  him  an  unusual  opportunity  to  gather 
information  regarding  the  massacre  from  a  source 
not  always  available.  These  scouts  were  selected 


176  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

from  the  Indians  who  had  proven  themselves  loyal 
to  the  whites  during:  the  massacre  the  previous  year, 
but  who  had  mingled  more  or  less  with  their  former 
friends  and  relatives  after  the  surrender  at  Camp 
Release,  were  drawn  into  the  maelstrom  by 
Little  Crow,  to  the  extent  of  being:  participants, 
even  if  not  voluntary  ones,  of  the  massacre,  and 
thus  the  scouts  had  a  double  knowledge  of  what 
occurred  during  the  outbreak.  The  trouble  at  the 
Upper  Agency,  August  4th,  1862,  when  a  massacre 
was  narrowly  averted,  was  told  of  with  much  earn- 
estness, as  were  the  sufferings  and  disappointments 
leading:  up  to  that  event.  Many  deeds  of  cruelty 
were  related,  with  a  shrug:  and  with  manifest  dis- 
approval ;  but  of  these  there  was  the  least  dis- 
position to  talk,  information  being:  vouchsafed  when 
asked  for  as  applying:  to  particular  persons,  as,  for 
instance,  to  the  old  ferryman  of  the  Lower  Agency, 
the  traders  and  residents  of  the  Agency,  etc.  One 
of  the  features  of  the  massacre  discussed  without 
reserve,  was  Little  Crow's  failure  to  take  Fort 
Ridgely  when  he  had  first  planned  to  do  so — the 
day  following  the  massacre  at  the  Agency  and  the 
ferry.  This  failure  was  explained  with  the  facial 
earnestness  and  artful  gesticulations  peculiar  to 
Indian  character,— traits  that  increase  the  force  of 
language  by  half. 

Only  those  who  have  vainly  tried,  know  how  diffi- 
cult it  is  to  extract  information  from  an  Indian  ;  but 
McCole  had  the  faculty  of  unlocking  the  secret 
springs  of  reticence  of  the  red  men,  and  securing  a 
voluble  flow  of  language  when  he  chose  to  do  so. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  177 


Standing  Buffalo. 


One  of  the  great  injus- 
tices of  the  Sioux  Massacre 
was  sustained  by  Standing 
Buffalo.  (Tatanka  Nazin,) 
whom  Captain  McGrew, 
forty  years  after  the  out- 
break, referred  to  as  "the 
noblest  red  man  of  all." 
Standing  Buffalo  was  the 
chief  of  a  band  of  Sissetons 
whose  village  was  on  the 
STANDING  BUFFALO,  shores  of  Big  Stone  Lake, 
and  was  a  self-reliant,  level-headed  man,  whose 
friendship  for  the  whites  had  breadth  and  depth. 
As  the  disappointment  of  the  Indians  increased, 
and  their  unrest  became  more  manifest,  Standing 
Buffalo,  who  dissented  from  proposed  radical 
measures,  was  chided  for  his  fealty  to  the  whites  ; 
yet  his  sturdy  character  made  him  a  factor  of 
strength  among  the  Indians,  who  had  great  respect 
for  him. 

The  trying  ordeal  through  which  the  Indians 
passed  at  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency,  while  as- 
sembled to  receive  their  annuities,  elsewhere  fully 
treated,  produced  widespread  and  justifiable  dis- 
content, and  having  grown  desperate,  a  council  of 
chiefs  and  warriors  was  called  from  among  the  six 
thousand  savages  in  camp  at  Yellow  Medicine,  in 
August,  1862.  This  council  was  an  extremely 


178  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

stormy  one,  and  any  man  would  have  been  very 
brave  who  would  have  dared  to  stand  within  the 
council  circle  and  plead  for  moderation.  Standing 
Buffalo  stood  in  the  breach  as  the  foremost  advo- 
cate of  peace  and  patience.  He  did  not  believe  in 
all  white  men,  nor  had  he  lost  faith  in  all.  He  be- 
lieved the  white  people  in  the  main  were  friendly 
to  the  Indians,  and  wished  to  see  justice  done  them. 
Other  speakers  were  in  favor  of  violent  retaliation 
for  the  wrongs  inflicted  on  their  race,  and  doubted 
that  the  white  people  were  any  of  them  honest  or 
friendly,  since  the  people  chose  their  officers,  and 
these  officers  were  too  often  dishonest.  Six  weeks 
of  indefensible  dalliance  on  the  part  of  represen- 
tatives of  the  Government  had  made  the  contention 
of  Standing  Buffalo  unpopular,  and  his  predicament 
not  in  all  respects  enviable.  The  council  finally 
terminated  with  a  vote  in  favor  of  resorting  to  arms 
as  a  means  of  righting  wrongs  inflicted  upon  the 
thousands  who  had  been  kept  in  camp  for  weeks, 
and  who  were  finally  at  the  point  of  starvation. 
This  vote  committed  all  the  chiefs,  without  regard 
to  their  personal  views  or  preferences.  The  final 
decision  of  the  council  spread  throughout  the  camp 
with  great  rapidity,  awakening  intense  excitement. 
Standing  Buffalo,  realizing  that  trouble  was  im- 
minent, went  at  once  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
troops  near  the  warehouse  where  the  stores 
were  locked  up,  and  under  guard  of  the  soldiers, 
and  related  what  had  taken  place  in  the  council  of 
chiefs.  He  stated  he  had  bitterly  opposed  the 
course  adopted,  but  that  he  was  out-voted ;  but  in 
the  final  decision  was  tacitly  bound  -by  the  council's 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  179 

action ;  but  he  said  he  had  come  to  warn  the  soldiers 
to  be  prepared  and  on  the  alert. 

Here  was  the  Alexander  Stephens  of  the  Sioux 
nation.  His  judgment  and  sympathies  impelled 
him  to  stand  with  the  whites,  and  he  had  been  reso- 
lute to  the  end  of  the  council,  but  having:  taken 
part  in  the  deliberations,  he  was,  under  the  customs 
of  his  people,  committed  to  abide  by  the  result  of 
the  council.  Nevertheless,  there  was  no  law  or 
custom  that  could  restrain  him  from  at  once  warn- 
ing: the  soldiers  of  their  dangler. 

This  was  characteristic  of  Standing  Buffalo,  and 
the  same  spirit  animated  him  throughout  the  mas- 
sacre. When,  after  the  massacre,  the  Indians  were 
making  northward,  pressed  by  the  army,  a  demand 
was  made  upon  Little  Crow  by  General  Sibley  for 
the  surrender  of  all  the  prisoners  held  by  him.  This 
demand  produced  great  agitation,  and  the  wonder 
is,  that  during  the  excitement  and  fierce  contention 
that  resulted,  the  prisoners  were  not  all  slain.  A 
great  council  was  held  to  determine  what  should 
be  done— whether  the  prisoners  should  be  mas- 
sacred or  surrendered  unconditionally.  Standing 
Buffalo,  whose  people,  so  far  as  he  was  able  to  con- 
trol them  at  least,  had  kept  out  of  the  Massacre, 
was  in  this  council,  and  urged  the  delivery  of  the 
white  prisoners  unharmed,  and  he  took  occasion  in 
his  speech  to  upbraid,  in  no  uncertain  terms,  the 
Lower  Indians,  as  those  were  termed  south  of  the 
Yellow  Medicine  River,  for  bringing  on  the  mas- 
sacre, saying  in  this  speech  in  part :  *'  I  am  *  young 
man,  but  I  have  always  felt  friendly  to  the  whites, 
because  they  were  kind  to  my  father.  You  have 


180  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

brought  me  into  great  danger  without  my  knowing 
of  it  beforehand  (the  massacre.)  By  killing  the 
whites  is  just  as  if  you  had  waited  for  me  in  ambush 
and  had  shot  me  down.  You  Lower  Indians  feel 
very  bad  because  we  have  all  got  into  trouble,  but 
I  feel  worse,  because  I  know  that  neither  I  nor  my 
people  have  killed  any  of  the  whites,  but  that  yet 
we  have  to  suffer  for  the  guilty." 

But  Standing  Buffalo,  notwithstanding  his  manli- 
ness and  friendship  for  the  white  race,  was  ever 
kept  in  the  false  light  of  an  enemy.  The  Sibley  Ex- 
pedition of  1863  made  its  long,  toilsome  incursion 
into  the  Devil's  Lake  and  Missouri  River  regions, 
to  either  secure  the  surrender  of  all  the  Sioux  east 
of  the  Missouri,  or  drive  them  by  force  of  arms 
across  that  stream.  On  the  24th  of  July,  1863,  as 
related  fully  in  another  chapter,  the  Sibley  army 
overhauled  a  large  body  of  Indians,  who  must  have 
known  a  day  or  two  in  advance  of  the  approach  of 
the  expedition,  but  who  were  evidently  influenced 
not  to  fly  the  country,  by  a  conviction  that  it  would 
be  best  to  peaceably  surrender  and  throw  them- 
selves upon  the  mercy  of  the  authorities.  But  this 
plan,  if  such  it  was,  was  thwarted  by  a  cowardly  sav- 
age who  shot  Surgeon  Weiser  in  the  back,  killing  him 
instantly  when  he  had  ridden  among  the  Indians  un- 
attended and  unsupported.  There  was  no  sign  of 
approval  of  this  cold-blooded  and  treacherous  deed, 
on  the  part  of  the  savages,  but  it  had  so  provoked 
the  wrath  of  the  soldiers  that  hostilities  were  open- 
ed at  once,  without  an  opportunity  for  explanations 
or  redress.  Standing  Buffalo's  band  was  supposed, 
though  not  positively  known,  to  have  been  a  part  of 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  181 

this  large  group,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  the  offender 
neither  belonged  to  nor  was  excused  by  this  chief's 
people. 

Here  was  Standing  Buffalo  probably  again  made 
the  victim  of  bad  company  and  untoward  circum- 
stances, and  placed  in  a  position  where,  for  self- 
preservation  and  the  existence  of  his  family  and 
his  people,  he  was  forced  to  fight  those  whom  he 
had  never  broken  faith  with,  and  whom  he  had  al- 
ways befriended  and  defended  in  angry  councils. 
That  he  was  not  made  the  prince  of  outlaws  by  ad- 
verse conditions,  is  a  matter  of  wonder ;  but  he  was 
not,  as  no  unprovoked  cruelty  has  ever  been  charg- 
ed to  the  name  of  Standing  Buffalo,  who,  though 
never  justly  appreciated  at  his  worth,  was  never- 
theless much  of  a  man  among  men,  Indian  that  he 
was. 

On  June  5,  1871,  Standing  Buffalo  met  a  tragic 
death.  His  life  long  friendship  for  the  whites,  even 
under  adverse  conditions,  made  him  an  object  of 
derision  among  the  lawless  element  of  his  race.  It 
was  near  the  Milk  River  Agency,  in  Montana,  that 
Standing  Buffalo  was  solicited  by  the  Yanktons  to 
join  them  in  a  raid  on  the  Gros  Ventres  and  Upper 
Assiniboines.  Standing  Buffalo  urged  that  he  had 
no  occasion  to  join  in  such  an  attack ;  and  further, 
that  the  whites  would  be  displeased  with  such  a 
wanton  raid.  This  fired  the  Yanktons,  who  accused 
Standing  Buffalo  of  a  regard  for  the  whites  that 
made  him  unworthy  of  the  respect  of  his  own  blood 
and  bone,  and  unworthy  of  his  chieftainship.  Tired 
of  a  life  of  perplexing  conditions  whose  improve- 
ment, ever,  circumstances  seemed  to  forbid,  Stand- 


182  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

ing  Buffalo  silently  resolved  to  end  all.  He  an- 
nounced his  willingness  at  last  to  join  the  Yanktons 
and  lead  his  warriors  against  their  enemies ;  but 
his  silent  resolution  was  not  one  of  conquest.  He 
announced  to  his  family  that  he  would  go  on  the 
war-path.  He  then  made  disposition  of  his  horses 
and  other  personal  effects,  giving,  with  great  delib- 
eration, all  his  earthly  possessions  to  his  relatives 
and  friends.  He  counseled  his  brother  and  his  son, 
and  all  his  people,  to  keep  faith  with  the  whites, 
saying  he  was  going  into  battle,  and  that  he  would 
never  return.  With  a  small  party  of  his  warriors 
he  went  forth  and  met  the  Gros  Ventres  and  Assini- 
boines  in  large  numbers.  It  was  on  an  open  plain, 
and  Standing  Buffalo  led  a  wild  charge  into  the 
midst  of  the  superior  forces,  striking  harmlessly 
with  his  "coo-stick,"  but  never  firing  a  shot.  He 
fell  from  his  horse  in  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  his 
body  pierced  with  upwards  of  thirty  bullets. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE. 


183 


Little  Crow. 

Little  Crow,  in 
many  respects,  was 
the  most  remark- 
able man  the  Sioux 
nation  ever  devel- 
oped. He  was  not 
merely  an  Indian 
chieftain  of  the 
hereditary  type — a 
king  by  divine  fiat, 
but  was  a  man  of  pe- 
culiar intellectual 
force.  In  fact,  en- 
dowed with  educa- 
tion and  purgfed  of 
cruel  instincts,  he 
would  have  taken  rank  among:  able  men.  Civili- 
zation was  no  enigma  to  him.  He  was  a  student 
of  human-nature,  and  of  all  his  race  was  the  most 
masterful  in  diplomacy  with  the  agents  of  the  Gov- 
ernment. He  was  erratic  and  overbearing:,  and 
was  not  especially  loved  by  his  people,  who  regard- 
ed him  as  a  tyrant.  He  did  not  sway  them  by  rev- 
erence or  admiration,  but  by  his  indomitable  will- 
power. This  dominated  him,  and  through  it  he 
dominated  them.  Faithful  and  self-sacrificing  mis- 
sionaries who  came  into  Minnesota  early  in  the 
past  century,  developed  some  very  excellent  char- 


LITTLE   CROW. 


184  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

acters  among  the  Sioux,  who  were  tribesmen  of 
Little  Crow,  and  who  had  grown  up  with  him  from 
childhood.  These  and  many  of  the  sub-chiefs  would 
gladly  have  curtailed  Little  Crow's  influence  and 
authority,  but  the  latter  was  far  and  away  ahead  of 
all  his  race,  through  craft  and  intellectual  force, 
when  it  came  to  dealing  with  the  Government  and 
its  representatives,  and  he  thus  always  held  the 
whiphand ;  this  collateral  to  his  will-power  making 
his  authority  supreme.  Something  of  his  nature 
may  be  judged  and  some  of  the  reasons  why  his 
people  had  a  dread  of  him  may  be  appreciated  when 
it  is  stated  that  he  had  fought  with  his  brothers  in 
earlier  life,  and  had  murdered  two  of  them.  In  his 
violent  encounters  both  of  his  arms  were  broken, 
and  Indian  surgery  had  not  so  reduced  the  fractures 
as  to  prevent  deformity  in  the  appearance  of  his 
arms  when  these  members  were  exposed  to  view. 
It  was  this  known  fact  that  in  part  led  to  the  iden- 
tification of  Little  Crow  after  he  was  fortunately 
and  almost  miraculously  killed  by  a  farmer  near 
Hutchinson,  Minnesota. 

Little  Crow  was  a  skilled  warrior  and  a  man  of 
unquestioned  courage.  He  had  been  impressed 
with  civilization,  and  had  adopted  many  customs 
of  the  whites ;  yet  these  were  all  put  off  in  a  twink- 
ling when  bloody  hands  were  raised  against  the  de- 
fenseless settlers. 

Whatever  Little  Crow  engaged  in  he  excelled  in. 
Indians  are  born  gamblers.  Gambling  is  the  pas- 
time of  Indian  life.  Men,  women  and  children,  with- 
out exception,  with  one  device  or  another,  are  inr 
vetcrate  gamblers.  All  are  skilled  gamblers,  but 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  185 

Little  Crow  was  an  adept  in  the  art.  Card-playing, 
in  fact,  was  a  science  with  him.  He  knew  the  rules 
of  all  games,  exacted  an  observance  of  them  of  all 
who  sat  in  a  game  with  him,  would  forecast  the 
hands  of  his  adversaries  with  unerring  judgment, 
checkmate  every  device  for  his  undoing,  play  with 
the  greatest  skill  where  his  hands  were  the  poorest, 
and  quit— when  his  opponents  had  nothing  more  to 
put  up. 

After  the  Indians  had  received  their  annuities 
from  the  Government,  professional  gamblers  would 
flock  in  like  buzzards  at  a  feast,  but  Little  Crow  al- 
most invariably  pauperized  them.  Three  of  these 
professional  gamblers,  who  went  to  the  Redwood 
Agency  in  the  early  summer  of  1862,  taking  money 
enough  along  with  them  to  "start  them  in  business," 
engaged  in  poker  with  Little  Crow.  They  wore 
diamonds  and  fine  raiment,  and  hired  a  liveryman 
at  a  good  round  sum  to  carry  them  from  St.  Peter 
to  the  Agency,  a  distance  of  nearly  sixty  miles. 
Two  or  three  days  later  they  reached  Fort  Ridgely 
on  foot,  on  their  way  back  to  civilization,  destitute 
and  dusty,  but  full  of  wisdom.  They  asked  the  act- 
ing post  commissary,  A.  W.  Williamson,  to  inter- 
cede in  obtaining  for  them  a  ration  of  bread  and 
coffee,  telling  him  frankly  what  had  happened. 
Williamson  detested  gambling,  but  sympathised 
with  the  hungry.  He  asked  the  men  if  they  met 
Little  Crow  on  their  trip,  and  they  readily  admit- 
ted he  was  the  author  of  their  sorrows.  Williamson, 
from  his  infancy,  had  known  Little  Crow,  and  made 
the  fact  known  with  a  smile,  at  which  the  travelers 
accorded  the  wily  chieftain  the  distinction  of  being 


186  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

by  all  odds  and  in  all  respects  the  shrewdest  gamb- 
ler they  had  ever  met. 

Not  only  was  the  noted  chieftain  a  man  of  su- 
perior mental  mould,  but  he  was  physically  su- 
perior as  well.  A  remembered  feature  of  his  de- 
velopment was,  that  his  front  teeth,  above  and  be- 
low, were  double. 

Whatever  may  be  truthfully  written  of  Little 
Crow's  vices  and  sins  in  general,  it  is  to  his  honor 
that  he  protested  with  his  warriors  against  the  kill- 
ing of  women  and  children  as  wrong  and  cowardly ; 
but  his  cut-throat  followers  were  none  the  less  cruel 
and  merciless. 

Little  Crow  met  a  tragic  death  as  related  in  the 
succeeding  chapter. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  187 


The  Man  who   Killed  Little  Crow. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  TRAGEDY. 

Of  no  other  man  who  achieved  notoriety  during 
the  period  of  the  Sioux  Massacre,  is  there  so  little 
known  or  has  there  been  so  little,  written  as  of 
Nathan  Lampson,  the  aged  farmer  who,  in  company 
with  his  son,  Chauncey,  killed  Little  Crow.  Feel^ 
ing:  that,  for  the  sake  of  history,  something  should 
be  recorded  of  the  man  who  was  the  principal  actor 
in  the  culminating  tragedy  of  the  Indian  war,  I 
spent  two  years  by  correspondence  and  inquiry  in 
an  earnest  endeavor,  after  over  forty-five  years  had 
elapsed,  to  obtain  a  brief  historical  sketch  of  Nathan 
Lampson,  and  had  about  given  up  in  despair  when 
I  located  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Francis  B.  Ide,  of  Belling- 
ham,  Washington,  from  whom  and  her  husband  I 
obtained  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of  her  father, 
whose  portrait  appears  in  this  book,  and  who  was 
the  hero  of  the  berry  patch  near  Hutchinson,  Minne- 
sota, on  the  evening  of  July  3,  1863.  In  an  inter- 
view I  found  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ide,  former  resi- 
dents of  Minnesota,  very  familiar  with  the  scenes 
where  the  tragedy  was  enacted,  with  the  story  in 
detail  of  the  killing  of  the  Sioux  chief,  and  with 
the  personal  history  of  the  victors  in  that  conflict, 
and  in  possession  of  a  photograph  of  the  principal 
actor. 

From  them  I  learned  that  Nathan  Lampson  was 
born  near  Bennington,  Vermont,  September  6,  1800. 


188  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  went  to  Brattleboro, 
Vermont.  From  there  he  went  to  the  State  of  New 
York,  where  he  married  Hannah  Bugfbee,  who,  with 
all  their  children  with  a  single  exception,  died  after 
a  few  years.  He  later  married  Roxana  Chambers, 
and  removed  to  Michigan.  Seven  children  were 
the  result  of  the  second  marriage.  After  the  death 
of  the  second  wife  Mr.  Lampson  married  a  Mrs. 
Bigelow,  and  shortly  after  removed  to  McLeod 
County,  Minnesota,  settling  six  miles  north  of 
Hutchinson.  Mr.  Lampson  had  always  followed 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  while  he  had  lived 
a  retiring  life,  he  was  a  devoted  lover  of  his  country, 
and  a  strong  Union  man,  and  gave  to  the  Union 
army  during  the  Civil  War,  his  sons  Nathan,  Mar- 
shall, James,  Chauncey,  J.  B.,  his  step-son,  Albert, 
and  his  sons-in-law.  John  French,  Francis  B.  Ide 
and  John  Adams,  his  family  thus  contributing  nine 
soldiers  to  the  Union  cause. 

While  for  safety  the  Lampson  family,  like  scores 
of  others,  lived  within  the  Hutchinson  stockade 
during  the  spring  and  summer  of  1863,  the  father, 
Nathan,  and  son,  Chauncey,  spent  most  of  their 
time  looking  after  the  farm,  six  miles  north  of  town, 
though  to  do  so  they  risked  their  lives.  Provisions 
were  scarce,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  afternoon 
of  Friday,  July  3,  1863,  the  father  and  son  started 
out  with  the  hope  of  being  able  to  kill  a  deer.  Hav- 
ing tramped  to  within  an  hour  of  sunset,  they  struck 
the  Greenleaf  and  Waterville  road,  which  they  fol- 
lowed a  short  distance  when  they  espied  two  In- 
dians in  a  wooded  clump  near  by,  picking  wild  rasp- 
berries. Lampson  and  son  had  old-fashioned  muzzle- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  189 

loading  rifles,  and  the  stock  of  the  gun  of  the  father 
was  broken  and  tied  up  with  twine,  but  the  barrel 
was  serviceable,  and  both  Lampsons  were  good 
marksmen.  Half  a  dozen  steps  from  where  the 
Lampsons  saw  the  Indians,  grew  a  popple  tree, 
about  which  was  entwined  a.  drooping  grapevine, 
under  the  cover  of  which  Nathan  Lampson,  level- 
ing his  gun  on  the  larger  Indian,  who  stood  with 
his  side  toward  him,  fired,  his  bullet  passing  into 
the  body  of  Little  Crow  just  above  the  hips.  The 
Indians  were  taken  by  surprise,  and  although  Little 
Crow  went  down,  he  regained  his  feet,  and  both 
himself  and  son  sent  a  volly  of  buckshot  after 
Nathan  Lampson,  who  had  dropped  upon  his  knees, 
and  not  knowing  how  many  Indians  there  might  be 
in  the  party,  was  attempting  to  make  his  way  out 
of  the  berry  patch.  One  buckshot  plowed  through 
the  surface  flesh  of  his  shoulder.  Though  mortally 
wounded,  Little  Crow  made  his  way  to  the  road, 
and  seeing  Chauncey,  leveled  his  gun  upon  him, 
but  Chauncey  was  equal  to  the  emergency,  and 
both  he  and  Little  Crow  fired  at  the  same  instant, 
the  bullet  from  Chauncey's  gun  killing  the  famous 
Sioux  chief.  Chauncey  had  a  close  call,  but  escap- 
ed without  a  mark.  Nathan  Lampson  had  the 
powder-horn,  and  as  Chauncey  supposed  his  father 
had  been  killed  when  the  three  shots  were  fired, 
and  as  he  himself  had  no  powder  with  which  to  re- 
load his  gun,  he  set  out  for  the  farm  home,  which 
he  reached  completely  exhausted,  a  condition  due 
to  ill  health,  the  presumption  that  his  father  had 
been  killed,  to  the  belief  that  many  Indians  made 
up  the  war  party,  and  to  the  highly  exciting  experr 


190  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

ence  he  had  just  passed  through.  He  prostrated 
himself  upon  the  bed,  and  had  lain  there  but  a  few 
moments  when  there  came  a  rap  at  the  door.  He 
believed  the  Indians  had  followed  him,  but  he  was 
exhausted,  and  his  gun  was  empty.  Resigned  to 
his  fate  he  responded,  "Come  in,"  and  to  his  great 
relief  a  hunter  entered,  who  prepared  supper  while 
Chauncey  rested.  Having  been  refreshed  and  re- 
cuperated, Chauncey  and  the  hunter  set  out  for 
Hutchinson,  which  they  reached  in  safety. 

Nathan  Lampson  supposing  his  son  had  been  kill- 
ed by  the  Indians,  went  directly  from  the  scene  of 
the  tragedy  to  Hutchinson,  reaching  the  stockade 
late  in  the  night,  as  he  did  not  expose  himself  until 
the  darkness  surrounded  his  movements  with  safety. 
There  to  his  great  surprise  and  joy  he  learned  of 
Chauncey's  escape ;  and  the  father,  who  for  hours 
had  been  mourned  as  dead,  was  welcomed  by  his 
family  as  one  returned  from  the  grave. 

On  the  morning  of  July  4th  a  team  was  sent  out, 
and  the  body  of  the  dead  Indian  was  taken  to  Hutch- 
inson, where  it  was  later  recognized  as  that  of  the 
great  war  chief,  Little  Crow. 

Nathan  Lampson  died  at  Wilmot,  South  Dakota, 
in  November,  1896,  over  96  years  of  age,  and  his 
son  Chauncey  died  in  Minnesota  in  February,  1865. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  191 


Death  of  Chaska. 

In  my  diary,  under  date  of  August  3,  1863,  I  find 
the  following  notation :  "Hearts  were  saddened  this 
morning  by  the  report  that  one  of  our  faithful  scouts, 
Chaska,  a  full-blood  Sioux,  but  an  ever-true  friend 
of  the  whites,  and  one  who  was  largely  instrument- 
al in  saving  the  missionaries  during  the  massacre, 
was  taken  suddenly  ill  after  reaching  camp  last 
evening,  and  died  during  the  night." 

This  event  was  a  mere  incident  in  the  army  life 
of  that  day.  Officers  and  men  of  the  ranks  had 
fallen  on  those  wild,  desolate  plains  during  our 
operations,  to  sleep  the  sleep  of  death  in  a  land  in 
which  no  mark  of  civilization  had  ever  been  raised, 
and  we  were  compelled  to  desert  their  lifeless  forms 
in  their  loneliness,  to  follow  the  stern  mandates  of 
war.  When  Chaska  was  seized  with  the  illness  that 
terminated  his  life,  we  had  just  completed  our 
second  day's  march,  August  2,  1863,  on  our  return 
from  the  Missouri  river,  from  a  point  opposite  where 
Fort  Lincoln  was  in  later  years  founded.  At  no 
time  on  all  the  expedition  were  the  spirits  of  the 
soldiers  in  so  high  a  state  of  effervescence  as  now. 
After  long  and  weary  marching,  fighting,  scouting, — 
after  days,  weeks  and  months  of  suffering  from  the 
merciless  sun  of  midsummer  on  scorching,  treeless 
plains,  famishing  for  water  and  worn  with  fatigue, 
our  faces  were  at  last  turned  homeward,  or  at  least 
toward  civilization,  and  the  influence  of  the  fact 


192  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

upon  the  spirits  of  the  men,  is  indescribable,  and 
particularly  was  this  true  of  the  morning  we  filed 
out  of  our  Missouri  river  camp  ;  and  none  were  more 
highly  elated  over  the  hopeful  prospects  than  were 
the  sixty  Sioux  scouts.  I  saw  the  scouts  that  morn- 
ing as  they  mounted  their  horses  to  take  the  ad- 
vance, and  having  met  and  frequently  talked  with 
Chaska  on  the  expedition,  I  could  not  help  noticing 
the  broad  smile  on  his  stoical  face,  as  he  lithely 
sprang  into  his  saddle,  recognizing  us  with  a  nod, 
a  smile  and  the  usual  "Ho!"  The  scouts  were  full 
of  the  infectious  joy  that  swept  over  the  vast  camp, 
and  gave  expression  to  their  feelings  in  a  low,  In- 
dian chant  as  they  rode  away,  beating  time  with 
their  moccasined  heels  against  the  bellies  of  their 
horses.  Chaska  had  left  a  wife  and  children  in  the 
valley  of  the  Minnesota  river,  and  his  thoughts 
were  of  them,  but  the  fates  had  unsuspectingly  de- 
creed that  he  should  see  and  welcome  the  rising 
sun  of  but  one  more  day.  My  diary  states  that  our 
first  day's  march  from  the  Missouri  covered  a  dis- 
tance of  eighteen  miles,  and  that  the  second  day's 
march  covered  fifteen  miles.  So,  if  the  old  trail, 
made  by  our  expedition,  is  still  traceable,  the  clay 
of  Chaska,  who  saved  the  missionaries  during  the 
massacre,  may  be  found  near  it,  thirty-three  miles 
east  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  no  Indian  more  truly 
deserved  a  monument  than  he. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  193 


Gallant  Sons  of  Fillmore-Freeborn  Counties. 

CREDIT  NEVER  HERETOFORE  HISTORICALLY  GIVEN. 

As  the  processes  of  time  the  more  deeply  etch 
the  story  of  the  famous  defense  of  Fort  Ridgely,  the 
salient  facts  will  become  the  more  prominent,  the 
non-essentials  dissolving"  and  the  essentials  stand- 
ing forth  in  relief.  To  students  of  history  who  pur- 
sue their  investigations,  the  query  will  naturally 
propound  itself :  Whence  came  the  men  who  bore 
the  brunt  of  the  fiery  ordeal  whose  crucial  forces 
were  converged  about  the  isolated  military  post, 
now  merely  a  memory  ?  In  the  analyzation  will  be 
found  sons  of  foreign  lands—men  born  under  the 
the  proud  standards  of  kings  and  emperors,  Eng- 
land, France,  Germany,  Norway  and  Sweden,  con- 
tributing stalwart  defenders  to  the  Fort.  Many 
brave  civilians  took  refuge  at  the  Fort  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  outbreak,  and  rendered  valiant  service, 
but  the  burden  of  responsibility  and  brunt  of  battle 
fell  upon  the  soldiers. 

Fillmore  county,  peopled  by  a  brave  and  hardy 
class  of  pioneers,  who  had  come  into  Minnesota 
Territory  and  founded  the  first  settlements  within 
less  than  a  decade  previous  to  the  Civil  War,  had 
the  honor,  and  one  of  which  its  appreciation  will 
grow  as  the  years  roll  on,  of  contributing  from  her 
noble  sons  the  principal  force  of  soldiers  for  the  de- 
fense of  Fort  Ridgely  and  incidentally  to  the  Min- 
nesota frontier  in  the  incipiency  of  the  outbreak. 


194  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

Company  B  of  the  Fifth  Minnesota  was  almost  ex- 
clusively a  Fillmore  County  body  in  its  original 
personnel,  and  no  other  company  raised  in  the  State 
of  Minnesota  during:  the  Civil  War,  contributed  so 
many  lives  in  battle  on  the  sacrificial  altar  of  war 
as  did  this  Fillmore  County  company  of  men  and 
boys.  No  company  of  even  the  famous  First  Min- 
nesota, that  was  in  blood  from  Bull  Run  to  Gettys- 
burg:, sustained  so  heavy  a  loss  in  killed  in  action 
during:  its  years  of  service  as  did  Company  B  of  the 
Fifth,  and  when  Minnesota  shall  have  grown  g:ray 
in  history,  Fillmore  County's  name,  earned  at  the 
sacrifice  of  lives  in  the  defense  of  Fort  Ridg:ely  and 
the  Minnesota  frontier,  will  still  live  brilliantly  and 
imperishably.  Than  those  of  Company  B  who  sank 
to  earth  in  the  Aug:ust  tragedies  along:  the  Minne- 
sota River  in  1862,  no  braver  or  better  men  ever 
lived,  and  no  grander  tribute  was  ever  paid  a  state 
or  nation  than  that  conferred  by  Fillmore  County  in 
the  contribution  of  these  heroic  men.  While  all 
parts  of  Fillmore  County  contributed  to  the  mem- 
bership of  Company  B,  the  enlistments  at  Chatfield, 
so  far  as  any  single  locality  was  concerned,  pre- 
dominated, with  Preston  second  in  the  number  of 
men  furnished. 

Next  to  Fillmore,  Freeborn  County  stands  envia- 
bly in  the  lime-lig:ht  of  history,  for  Lieutenant  Shee- 
han's  fifty  men  of  Company  C  of  the  Fifth  Minne- 
sota, earned  a  glorious  name  for  themselves  and 
their  county  in  their  heroic  part  in  the  defense  of 
Fort  Ridg:ely.  In  nothing:  were  these  men  second 
to  those  of  Company  B,  except  in  numbers  and  op- 
portunity. Fortunately  they  were  on  the  march  to 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  195 

Fort  Ripley  when  the  massacre  began,  else  they 
would  no  doubt  have  been  sacrificed  at  Redwood 
Ferry,  for  surely  they  would  have  been  taken  to 
that  disastrous  field  had  they  been  at  Fort  Ridgely 
when  the  outbreak  occurred,  instead  of  having  start- 
ed homeward  the  day  before.  History  records  few 
more  glorious  deeds  than  that  performed  by  these 
Company  C  men  when  they  made  a  forced  march 
by  night  of  forty-two  miles  to  relieve  the  distress- 
ed garrison  of  Fort  Ridgely,  after  having  marched 
all  the  previous  day  on  their  homeward  journey. 
Lieutenant  Sheehan,  in  all  his  career,  never  did 
an  act  that  redounded  more  to  his  honor  than  did 
this  memorable  feat  of  twenty-four  hours  of  con- 
tinual marching^  but  this  accomplishment  was  mere- 
ly an  index  to  the  character  of  the  men  as  soldiers, 
who  covered  the  name  of  Freeborn  County  with 
everlasting  glory,  by  their  deeds  of  heroism,  where- 
ever  duty  called. 

The  Renville  Rangers,  under  Lieutenant  James 
Gorman,  were  new  recruits,  enlisted  at  the  Red- 
wood Indian  Agency  less  than  a  week  before  the 
outbreak.  The  men  were  seasoned,  hardy  frontiers- 
men. They  were  brave  and  athletic.  Their  en- 
vironment had  familiarized  them  with  Indian  char- 
acter, and  had  made  them  past-masters  in  the  art 
of  alertness.  They  had  not  enlisted  to  fight  Indians, 
but  their  services  in  the  defense  of  Fort  Ridgely 
can  never  be  overestimated.  They  knew  the  tricks 
of  war  at  which  the  Sioux  were  adepts.  They  knew 
the  Sioux  language,  which  they  overheard  and  re- 
peated to  the  garrison.  They  were  brave,  daring 
and  efficient  men.  They  were  organized  and  under 
good  leadership. 


196  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

These  three  military  organizations,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  strong:,  received  and  repelled  the 
shock  of  battle,  kept  tireless  vigil,  inspired  the 
weak,  consoled  the  bereaved,  and  by  the  aid  of 
brave  souls  from  among:  the  refugees,  saved  Fort 
Ridgfely  and  hundreds  of  lives  in  and  out  of  the 
gfarrison,  dependent  upon  the  valor  of  these  men. 


Miraculous  Escape  of  the  Reynolds  Family. 

The  ordinary  imagination  is  hardly  elastic  enougfh 
to  grasp  the  condition  of  the  surprised  and  panic- 
stricken  settlers,  when  without  warning,  they  were 
swooped  down  upon  by  the  cruel,  redhanded  Sioux, 
who  took  extreme  delight  in  their  tantalizing,  tor- 
menting methods,  to  be  followed  by  death  itself. 

Usually  there  was  but  one  thing  to  do,  and  that 
was  for  the  hapless,  helpless  settlers  to  fly  for  their 
lives.  In  these  attempts  hundreds  were  shot  down 
as  they  ran,  but  occasionally  a  poor  mortal  would 
drop  unobserved  in  the  high  weeds  and  grass,  or  in 
a  patch  of  corn,  and  escape  by  hiding.  In  the  ex- 
citement of  clubbing,  scalping  and  mutilating  the 
fallen  victims,  and  in  plundering  the  buildings,  and 
finally  in  the  burning  of  them,  some  members  of  a 
family  or  party  would  be  lost  track  of,  and  would 
make  their  way  under  cover  of  night,  to  some  place 
of  safety,  usually  to  the  Fort,  if  not  detected  on  the 
way  and  murdered.  Frequently  these  escaping 
wretches  would  walk  into  the  very  jaws  of  death, 
and  often,  when  not  entrapped,  were  beset  on  every 
hand  by  dangers  that  were  terrifying. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  197 

Joseph  B.  Reynolds  and  wife,  Valencia  Reynolds, 
were  in  the  employ  of  the  Government  as  instruc- 
tors at  a  school  back  some  ten  miles  from  the  Red- 
wood Agency,  where  there  were  no  other  whites 
employed  or  residing.  On  the  morning  of  August 
18th,  Francis  Patoile  and  a  companion  of  Yellow 
Medicine  drove  up  to  the  Reynolds  home  and  asked 
if  they  could  have  breakfast.  Mrs.  Reynolds  repli- 
ed affirmatively,  and  as  the  meal  was  about  ready 
she  had  the  men  sit  down  to  the  table.  While  they 
were  eating  Antonia  La  Blaugh,  a  half  blood  who 
resided  with  a  neighboring  half-breed,  John  Moore, 
came  to  the  house  and  asked  to  see  Mr.  Reynolds, 
to  whom  he  stated  that  Moore  had  sent  him  to  warn 
him  of  the  outbreak  at  the  Agency  that  morning. 
Mr.  Reynolds  sent  La  Blaugh  after  Moore,  and  as 
he  departed,  the  news  was  broken  to  the  men  at 
breakfast,  and  Mr.  Patoile  asked  to  take  the  family 
to  New  Ulm,  he  having  a  team  with  him,  while  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Reynolds  had  but  a  one-horse  rig.  In  the 
Reynolds  family  were  three  girls,  Mary  Schwandt, 
Mattie  Williams  and  Mary  Anderson.  These  Mr. 
Patoile  took  into  his  wagon,  together  with  a  Mr. 
Davis  and  the  companion  who  accompanied  him 
from  Yellow  Medicine.  Moore  came  hastily,  and 
warned  the  people  to  fly  for  their  lives  in  the  direc- 
tion of  New  Ulm,  and  pointed  out  the  way  least 
likely  to  be  beset  with  Indians.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rey- 
nolds climbed  into  their  buggy,  but  before  they 
were  out  of  the  house  a  party  of  squaws  had  reach- 
ed, entered  and  begun  to  plunder  it. 

Now  began  a  wild  chase  for  life.    The  parties  be- 
came separated  after  a   short   distance  from  the 


198  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

house,  and  were  not  together  again.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Reynolds  drove  to  within  sight  of  the  Redwood 
Agency,  meeting  a  half-breed  by  the  way  whom 
they  questioned  as  to  the  extent  and  seriousness  of 
the  outbreak.  They  were  informed  that  matters 
could  not  well  be  worse,  from  reports  received  from 
the  Indians  themselves.  They  now  met  Shakopee, 
near  whose  village  their  home  was,  and  asked  him 
the  meaning  of  the  direful  rumors.  He  said  little 
to  them,  but  told  them  to  keep  back  on  the  open 
prairie.  Indians  were  seen  hastening  toward  the 
Agency,  giving  new  color  to  the  shocking  stories 
that  had  spread  like  wildfire  over  the  surrounding 
country.  They  dropped  back  to  the  southwestward 
so  as  to  conceal  themselves  behind  a  ridge  as  much 
as  possible.  When  at  the  nearest  point  to  the 
Agency  behind  this  ridge  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reynolds 
abandoned  their  horse  and  buggy  long  enough  to 
creep  to  the  top  of  the  ridge  and  peer  over  it,  only 
to  discover  that  a  party  of  Indians  were  but  a  short 
distance  away,  gathering  up  cattle.  They  could 
see  that  the  doors  of  the  buildings  at  the  Agency 
were  all  open,  and  that  the  Indians  were  very  nu- 
merous and  in  great  confusion.  They  now  felt  con- 
fident the  rumors  of  a  general  massacre  at  the 
Agency  were  too  true,  and  returning  to  their  buggy 
hastily  set  out  for  New  Ulm,  as  to  reach  the  Fort 
they  must  cross  the  Minnesota  River,  which  was 
not  fordable.  They  took  the  open  prairie  instead 
of  following  the  road,  and  saw  many  Indians  to 
their  left,  hastening  to  the  Agency.  They  at  length 
overtook  the  Government  carpenter  of  the  Agency, 
who  with  his  family  was  hastening  in  a  flight  for 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  199 

life.  His  wagon  was  overloaded  with  his  family 
and  neighbors,  so  Mr.  Reynolds  took  two  of  the 
carpenter's  children  in  his  rig:.  This  was  at  a  point 
very  nearly  opposite  Fort  Ridgely.  They  met  two 
parties  of  Indians,  and  Mr.  Reynolds  attempted  to 
enter  into  conversation  with  one  of  them,  but  could 
elicit  no  word  of  response.  They  also  met  two 
parties  of  squaws,  one  of  which  tried  to  persuade 
the  fugitives  to  return  to  the  Agency.  Getting 
down  to  the  settlement  below  the  reservation,  a 
large  party  of  Indians  was  discovered  on  the  side 
towards  the  River.  This  party  was  about  a  hun- 
dred rods  away,  and  on  foot.  There  were  mounted 
Indians  nearer,  on  either  hand,  and  a  naked  Indian 
but  a  few  rods  to  the  front  of  the  fugitives,  who 
now  felt  that  their  doom  was  sealed.  Reynolds 
called  to  the  naked  Indian,  trusting  for  some  friend- 
ly response,  but  the  savage  lifted  his  gun  and  snap- 
ped both  barrels  at  Reynolds  and  his  wife,  without 
the  piece  being  discharged.  In  despair  Mrs.  Rey- 
nolds turned  her  head,  when  she  saw  an  Indian 
riding  swiftly  toward  them.  He  called  to  them  to 
turn  back,  and  excitedly  motioned  to  them  to  hurry. 
This  Indian  got  between  the  Reynolds  rig  and  the 
Indian  on  foot  who  was  trying  to  recharge  his  gun 
to  get  a  shot  at  the  fugitives.  Now  dangers  thick- 
ened. The  Indian  who  came  to  befriend  and  help 
the  fugitives  rode  a  white  horse,  so  that  he  was 
easily  distinguished  from  all  others.  He  kept  all 
pursuers  at  bay,  and  the  race  was  a  wild  one,  with 
little  hope  of  escape.  After  a  two-mile  ride  Rey- 
nolds and  wife  ran  into  a  large  party  of  squaws, 
accompanied  by  one  man.  That  they  would  here 


200  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

be  detained  if  not  killed,  they  had  little  doubt, 
Reynolds,  as  he  passed  the  Indian  in  the  party  of 
squaws,  asked  him  if  he  intended  to  kill  them,  and 
he  said  "No;  go  on,"  and  offered  no  resistance. 
Reynolds  and  his  wife  now  turned  to  the  Minne- 
sota River,  and  being:  opposite  Fort  Ridgfely  decided 
that  their  only  hope,  since  they  were  still  pursued, 
was  to  reach  that  place  of  refugfe.  Their  horse  be- 
ing jaded  unto  exhaustion,  they  drove  to  the  river 
at  its  nearest  point,  and  hastily  unhitching,  Mr. 
Reynolds  swam  the  stream  with  the  horse,  it  hav- 
ing been  agreed  that  Mrs.  Reynolds  should  conceal 
herself  and  the  two  Nairn  children  and  await  the 
return  of  Reynolds,  who  was  to  go  to  the  Fort  and 
obtain  assistance  and  a  boat  if  possible,  with  which 
to  make  a  safe  crossing.  The  Indians  followed  the 
trail  to  the  river,  but  evidently  concluded  the 
Reynolds  party  had  escaped  safely  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  stream  or  had  been  drowned.  Mrs. 
Reynolds  wore  moccasins,  and  shrewdly  had  the 
two  children  precede  her,  and  she  then  covered 
their  tracks  with  her  own,  toeing-in  squaw  fashion, 
along  the  soft  earth  of  the  river  bottom.  Owing  to 
this  forethought  on  her  part  the  pursuing  Indians 
did  not  follow  her  trail,  and  she  went  into  hiding 
and  remained  in  concealment  until  a  party  from 
the  Fort  arrived,  and  calling  to  her  to  come  to  the 
water,  she  was  taken  over  and  herself  and  the  two 
children  safely  conveyed  to  the  Fort,  more  than  a 
mile  away,  and  thus  saved.  Mrs.  Reynolds  was  a 
very  capable  woman,  and  rendered  great  assistance, 
once  at  the  Fort,  in  caring  for  the  wounded,  making 
cartridges,  etc. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  201 

The  other  party  that  left  the  Reynolds  home  with 
Francis  Patoile  met  a  sad  fate  in  their  flight  after 
being  separated  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reynolds  on 
the  18th.  The  Patoile  party,  after  many,  frightful 
experiences,  reached  a  point  about  eight  miles 
above  New  Ulm,  when  they  ran  into  a  large  party 
of  Indians  from  which  there  was,  from  the  first, 
little  hope  of  escape.  These  Indians  had  been 
raiding  the  settlements,  and  with  wagons  loaded 
with  plunder  and  their  hands  reeking  with  blood, 
were  journeying  toward  the  Redwood  Agency. 
They  had  someplace  obtained  liquor,  and  many  of 
them  were  under  its  influence.  They  surrounded 
the  Patoile  team  and  shot  its  owner,  Francis  Patoile, 
who  fell  out  of  the  wagon,  dead.  The  other  occu- 
pants of  the  wagon  jumped  out  and  ran  for  a  neigh- 
boring slough.  All  the  men,  however,  were  shot 
down  before  reaching  the  high  grass  of  the  marsh, 
and  Mary  Anderson,  one  of  the  girls,  received  a 
bullet  which  brought  her  to  earth,  the  missile  pene- 
trating her  abdomen.  She  was  picked  up  however, 
and  carried  and  put  in  a  wagon,  when  the  other  two 
girls,  Mattie  Williams  and  Mary  Schwandt,  were 
followed  into  the  slough  and  captured  and  borne 
away  in  the  wagons.  They  all  reached  the  Agency 
at  night,  and  went  into  camp  near  Little  Crow's 
house,  where  they  were  kept  for  several  days,  sub- 
jected to  nameless  treatment.  With  a  knife  Mary 
Anderson  cut  the  bullet  from  her  body,  after  Wau- 
couta,  an  Indian  who  had  tried  to  assist  her,  had 
failed  to  extract  the  missile.  Poor  Mary  Anderson 
died  from  her  wound  and  from  exposure,  but  her  girl 
companions  remained  with  her  to  the  last,  and  did 


202  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

all  their  kind  hearts  and  generous  hands  could 
suggest  to  the  last.  She  lay  in  a  tepee,  on  the 
ground,  and  as  it  rained  hard  all  night,  death  claim- 
ed her  during  the  silent  hours,  while  the  little  cloth- 
ing she  had  on  was  saturated  and  her  body  cold  and 
wet  from  the  flooded  earth,  and  thus  her  spirit  left 
her.  Joseph  Campbell,  a  half-breed,  directed  a 
party  of  Indians  who  wrapped  the  form  of  Mary  in 
a  piece  of  canvas  and  buried  it  near  where  she  died. 
Mattie  Williams  and  Mary  Schwandt  remained  in 
captivity,  the  victims  of  fiendish  outrages,  until 
rescued  at  Camp  Release.  These  girls  were  told 
by  the  Indians  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reynolds  were 
killed  while  trying  to  escape  on  the  18th,  and  it  was 
believed  among  the  Indians  that  this  was  true,  as 
escape  seemed  impossible. 

Mary  Schwandt  was  released  from  her  cruel  cap- 
tivity at  the  surrender  of  Camp  Release,  but  only 
to  learn  that  her  father,  mother,  two  brothers  and 
her  only  sister  had  been  murdered  at  their  home  on 
Beaver  Creek  at  the  beginning  of  the  outbreak. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  203 


The  Remarkable  Experience  of  a  Remarkable 
Woman. 

How  FAMILIES  WERE  WIPED  OUT. 

As  far  above  Fort  Ridgely  as  twenty-seven  miles 
was  a  new,  vigorous  settlement,  an  extension  of 
that  known  as  the  Beaver  Creek  settlement.  All 
along  this  region  the  country  was  most  promising,— 
the  soil  rich  and  responsive  to  cultivation,  the 
natural  pastures  luxuriant,  the  water  excellent  and 
the  region  in  all  respects  attractive.  Hardly  a  day 
passed,  up  to  the  very  hour  of  the  massacre,  that 
a  new  family  was  not  added  to  this  promising,  happy 
community.  Fort  Ridgely  was  known  well  to  this 
and  all  other  surrounding  settlements.  While  none 
dreamed  of  the  hostility  of  Indians,  still  all  appre- 
ciated they  had  cast  their  lot  in  an  Indian  country, 
or  at  least  adjacent  to  an  Indian  reservation,  and 
this  fact  made  the  military  post  seem  a  place  of 
friendly  refuge  in  case  of  any  threatened  danger, 
and  it  thus  became  associated  with  every-day  life, 
and  its  location  was  well  in  mind  as  a  result  of  pru- 
dent thought,  though  comparatively  few  of  the 
settlers  had  ever  visited  the  Fort. 

The  settlements  at  and  above  Beaver  Creek  were 
so  earnestly  devoted  to  home-making  that  little  note 
was  taken  of  matters  not  immediately  associated 
with  patient  industry,  and  hence  the  outbreak 
caught  the  people  unawares,  with  no  time  for  or- 
ganization or  preparation  when  once  the  gleaming 
knife  of  the  savage  was  unsheathed. 


204  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

On  Monday,  August  18th,  August  Fross  and 
Eckmel  Groundman,  of  the  settlement  above  Beaver 
Creek,  started  to  the  Redwood  Agency,  ignorant  of 
the  awful  tragedy  that  had  been  enacted  in  the  early 
part  of  that  day  at  that  point.  When  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  Agency  these  men  were  startled  to 
find  the  lifeless  forms  of  a  women  and  her  two  chil- 
dren by  the  roadside,  every  indication  pointing  to 
the  fact  that  a  foul  murder  had  been  committed, 
and  there  were  signs  that  Indians  had  committed 
the  horrible  deed.  The  men  were  so  aroused  that 
they  resolved  to  report  the  discovery  to  the 
neighbors  in  the  vicinity,  and  to  their  amaze- 
ment they  found  that  at  the  homes  of  the  sev- 
eral settlers  which  they  visited,  were  stark  in  death, 
entire  families.  There  could  no  longer  be  a  particle 
of  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  all  this.  The  first 
house  they  visited  was  that  of  a  Mr.  Buss.  Here 
they  found  the  husband,  wife  and  three  children 
cruelly  murdered.  The  next  house  was  that  of  a 
settler  named  Monweiler,  and  here  the  family  was 
slain.  Hurrying  to  the  home  of  John  Rusby,  they 
found  the  entire  family,  consisting  of  husband,  wife 
and  three  children,  dead,  the  latters,  with  their 
skulls  split  open.  The  men,  filled  with  horror,  now 
realized  the  danger  that  not  only  threatened  their 
own  lives  and  those  of  their  defenseless  families, 
but  also  of  the  entire  settlement.  They  returned 
homeward  in  great  haste,  and  informed  the  settlers 
of  the  impending  danger.  Hastily  word  was  pass- 
ed from  house  to  house,  with  a  view  to  assembling 
all  who  could  be  reached,  for  flight.  The  place 
selected  for  assembling  the  neighborhood  was  the 
home  of  Paul  Kitzman. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  205 

What  followed  here  could  not  be  better  told  than 
in  the  language  of  Mrs.  Justina  Kreiger,  sister  of 
Paul  Kitzman,  who  related  the  facts  to  the  Sioux 
Commission,  appointed  after  the  Massacre.  Mrs. 
Kreiger  said :  "It  was  about  8  o'clock  p.  m.,  of  Mon- 
day, August  18, 1862,  when  we  all  determined  to  flee 
to  Ft.  Ridgely.  One  of  the  neighbors,  Mr.  Schwandt, 
(Father  of  Mary  Schwandt  referred  to  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter)  had  not  been  informed  of  the  raid 
and  our  intended  flight,  and  on  this  account  a  delay 
took  place  to  enable  messengers  to  reach  and  in- 
form him.  When  the  messengers  arrired  at  the 
house  they  found  Mr.  Schwandt's  oxen  standing 
at  the  door  eating  flour.  Feathers  were  seen  lying 
around  the  yard,  and  the  house  seemed  to  have  been 
plundered.  John  Waltz,  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Schwandt, 
was  lying  in  the  door,  dead,  shot  through  with  three 
balls,  causing,  no  doubt,  instant  death.  It  was  now 
dark,  and  no  other  dead  bodies  were  then  discover- 
ed. The  house  had  the  smell  of  fire,  as  though 
something  had  been  burning  and  had  gone  out.  The 
daughter  of  Mr.  Schwandt,  encienfe,  was  cut  open,  as 
was  learned  afterward,  the  child  taken  alive  from 
its  mother,  and  nailed  to  a  tree.  The  son  of  Mr. 
Schwandt,  aged  thirteen  years,  who  had  been  beaten 
by  the  Indians  until  dead  as  was  supposed,  was 
present,  and  saw  the  entire  tragedy. 

He  saw  the  child  taken  alive  from  the  body  of  his 
sister,  Mrs.  Waltz,  and  nailed  to  a  tree  in  the  yard. 
It  struggled  some  time  after  the  nails  were  driven 
through  it !  This  occurred  in  the  forenoon  of  the 
18th.  Mr.  Schwandt  was  on  the  house,  shingling, 
and  was  there  shot,  and  rolled  off,  falling  to  the 


206  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

ground,  dead.  The  mother  of  this  boy  was  taken 
a  few  yards  from  the  house,  into  newly-plowed 
ground,  and  her  head  severed  from  her  body.  Mr. 
Fross,  a  laborer,  was  lying  dead  near  Mrs.  Schwandt. 
The  boy  remained  in  his  retreat  until  after  dark, 
when  he  came  over  to  a  settlement  three  or  four 
miles  distant,  and  stopped  at  a  Mr.  Suche's  house, 
on  the  prairie.  Here  he  found  about  thirty  dead 
bodies,  and  a  living  child,  two  or  three  years  old, 
near  its  mother,  wounded  and  unable  to  walk.  He 
took  the  child  and  traveled  with  it  toward  Fort 
Ridgely.  After  carrying  his  burden  three  or  four 
miles,  and  being  exhausted,  he  placed  it  in  a  house, 
promising  to  come  after  it  the  next  day.  He  did 
this  to  get  rid  of  the  child,  so  that  he  might  possibly 
make  his  own  escape.  The  child  was  afterward 
found,  a  prisoner,  at  Camp  Release,  and  brought  to 
Fort  Ridgely,  and  there  died  from  the  effects  of 
wounds  and  the  hardships  endured  among  the  In- 
dians. The  lad,  August  Schwandt,  arrived  at  the 
Fort,  nearly  thirty  miles  from  his  home,  after  travel- 
ing four  nights  and  lying  by  of  days.  The  messen- 
gers returning  from  the  Schwandt  home,  thirteen 
families,  with  eleven  teams,  now  started,  and  mov- 
ed forward  as  fast  as  possible  toward  Fort  Ridgely. 
We  first  made  toward  the  Chippewa  River,  on  the 
prairie,  for  safety.  We  journeyed  until  2  or  3  o'clock 
of  Tuesday  morning,  the  19th,  and  then  inclined 
our  course  toward  Beaver  Creek,  heading  toward 
the  Fort.  In  this  direction  we  went  until  the  sun 
was  some  two  hours  high,  and  found  we  had  made 
about  fourteen  miles.  Eight  Indians,  on  horseback- 
some  naked  and  some  with  blankets  on,  all  armed 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  207 

with  guns— now  came  up  with  us.  In  our  train  were 
eleven  men,  armed  with  such  guns  as  they  had  in 
the  neighborhood.  Our  teams,  including  the  wagons 
and  oxen,  were  so  arranged  as  to  afford  the  best 
protection.  The  men,  at  first,  determined  to  fight 
the  Indians,  but,  as  they  came  within  about  one 
hundred  yards,  and  our  men  were  about  to  fire  upon 
them,  the  Indians  put  down  their  guns  and  made 
signs  not  to  fire,  pretending  that  they  were  friendly 
Indians  ;  and  sad  to  relate,  our  men,  believing  them 
to  be  friends,  did  not  fire.  One  Indian,  with  whom 
all  were  acquainted,  who  had  frequently  been  at 
my  brother's  house,  and  spoke  good  English,  came 
up  to  us.  Paul  Kitzman,  my  brother,  stepped  out 
from  behind  the  wagons,  and  shook  hands  with  this 
savage.  The  Indian  kissed  my  brother,  and  show- 
ed great  friendship.  Judas-like  he  betrayed  us  with 
a  kiss !  This  Indian  inquired  after  our  concerns, 
and  where  the  teams  were  going.  Paul  Kitzman 
replied  that  *  We  are  in  a  flight  to  the  Fort,  as  all 
the  people  in  the  neighborhood  had  been  killed  by 
the  Indians'.  The  Indian  answered  that  'the  Sioux 
did  not  kill  anybody ',  that  'the  people  had  been 
murdered  by  the  Chippewas ';  and  that  'they  were 
now  on  their  way  after  the  Chippewas,  to  kill  them ;' 
and  wished  our  folks  to  return,  as  the  Chippewas 
were  down  near  Beaver  Creek,  or  toward  the  Fort, 
and  that  we  would  probably  be  killed  if  we  went  on. 
At  the  same  time  this  pretendedly  good  Indian 
placed  his  hand  on  Kitzman's  shoulder,  saying, 
'You  are  a  good  man ;  it  is  too  bad  to  kill  you '. 
Our  folks  were  still  determined  to  go  on,  and  would 
not  yet  consent  to  return.  This  Indian  then  went 


208  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

around  and  shook  hands  with  all  of  us,  and  said  he 
would  not  hurt  us,  and  that  he  was  going  to  save 
us  from  harm.  Paul  Kitzman  had  great  confidence 
in  this  man.  He  had  frequently  hunted  with  him, 
and  thought  him  a  good  Indian. 

Seeing  now  his  advantage  over  us,  he  beckoned 
to  the  others  to  come  up.  When  they  came  they 
were  exceedingly  friendly,  shaking  hands  with  the 
men  and  women,  and  telling  the  women  to  quiet  the 
children,  who  were  frightened  at  the  sight  of  the 
savages.  All  of  us  were  now  fully  assured  that 
they  were  really  friendly. 

Seeing  their  success,  the  Indians  put  up  their 
guns  into  cases  kept  for  that  purpose,  and  the  whites 
put  up  their  guns  in  the  wagons.  All  now  joined 
in  a  friendly  meal  of  bread  and  milk,  and  our  folks,, 
each  of  them,  gave  them  some  money ;  and  as  they 
had  given  such  conclusive  evidence  of  friendship, 
a  return  was  agreed  upon.  All  the  teams  were 
turned  around,  and  we  began  to  retrace  our  steps, 
the  Indians  traveling  in  company  with  us  for  some 
five  or  six  miles.  Our  men  now  asked  the  Indians 
if  they  could  unyoke  the  oxen  and  let  them  feed. 
The  Indians  made  no  objection  and  seemed  pleased 
with  the  idea.  Our  pretended  friends  now  wished 
something  to  eat.  We  gave  them  some  bread  and 
butter  and  watermelon.  They  retired  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  and  ate  their  meal  alone. 

After  dinner  they  motioned  us  to  go  on.  Paul 
Kitzman,  going  toward  them,  was  again  requested 
to  go  on,  the  Indians  saying  they  would  follow  di- 
rectly. And  again  assuring  us  they  would  not  leave 
us,  but  would  protect  us  from  the  Chippewas,  and 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  209 

see  us  safe  to  our  homes,  we  moved  on.  The  In- 
dians coming  up,  some  took  position  alongside  of 
the  train,  the  others  in  front  and  rear.  This  new 
manner  caused  some  suspicion,  and  the  whites  talk- 
ed to  each  other  in  German,  and  thought  it  was  best 
to  fire  on  the  Indians  ;  but  all  the  guns  were  in  the 
wagons,  and  no  one  dared  to  touch  them,  lest  the 
motion  should  be  recognized  by  the  savages  as  a 
commencement  of  hostilities.  Notwithstanding  the 
difficulty,  all  the  men,  at  one  time,  except  Paul 
Kitzman,  were  determined  to  fire  upon  the  treacher- 
ous foe.  He  persuaded  them  not  to  do  it,  as  he  had 
all  confidence  in  them.  4Besides,|  our  guns  are  in 
the  wagons,  and  each  Indian  has  his  in  his  hand, 
ready  to  fire  in  an  instant,  and  every  white  man 
would  be  killed  at  the  first  shot,  before  a  gun  could 
be  got  out  of  the  wagons.  * 

We  had  now,  by  various  stages,  arrived  at  the 
place  where  Fross  and  Groundman  had  discovered 
the  dead  bodies  on  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  the 
18th.  Our  hitherto  friendly  Indians  now  showed 
signs  of  anger,  became  impudent  and  frantic,  and 
drew  in  line  of  battle  behind  our  train,  all  having 
double-barrelled  guns  except  one.  Our  enemy 
could  make  fifteen  shots  at  one  round,  without  re- 
loading. They  now  came  up  and  demanded  our 
money.  Our  fears,  in  regard  to  their  real  and  ulti- 
mate intentions,  became  a  certainty  in  the  minds 
of  every  one  of  our  party.  One  savage  came  forward 
and  received  the  money ;  the  others  all  remained 
drawn  up  in  battle-line.  I  had  a  pocket-book,  and 
my  husband  came  to  me  for  the  money.  I  gave 
him  five  dollars  and  kept  the  rest.  He  told  me  at 


210  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

this  time  he  was  going:  to  be  killed,  and  gave  me  a 
pocket-knife  by  which  to  remember  him.  After  the 
Indians  had  received  all  the  money,  they  started 
off  to  the  settlements  where  the  white  people  had 
been  killed. 

We  still  went  on  with  our  train  towards  our  homes, 
and  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  our  house  we  found 
two  men  dead,  who  had  been  recently  killed.  These 
men  were  not  recognized  by  any  of  our  folks,  but 
had  evidently  been  killed  by  the  same  Indians.  We 
now  all  concluded  our  race  was  about  ended.  We 
were  to  die  by  these  fiends.  The  men  took  the  guns 
out  of  the  wagons,  and  concluded  if  they  could 
reach  a  house,  they  could  protect  themselves  pretty 
well ;  but  while  going  forward  toward  our  house, 
thirteen  or  fourteen  Indians  came  up  behind  us, 
when  within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  house.  The 
Indians  immediately  surrounded  us  and  fired,  all 
the  men  but  three  falling  at  the  first  fire.  It  was 
done  so  quickly  I  could  not  see  whether  our  men 
fired  at  all ;  yet  I  believe  some  of  them  did.  No 
Indians  however,  were  killed  by  our  party.  Mr. 
Fross,  a  Mr.  Gotlieb  Zable,  and  my  husband,  were 
yet  alive. 

The  Indians  then  asked  the  woman  if  they  would 
go  along  with  them,  promising  to  save  all  that 
would  go,  and  threatening  all  who  refused  with  in- 
stant death.  Some  were  willing  to  go,  others  re- 
fused. I  told  them  I  chose  to  die  with  my  husband 
and  my  children.  My  husband  urged  me  to  go  with 
them,  telling  me  they  would  probably  not  kill  me, 
and  that  I  could  perhaps  get  away  in  a  short  time. 
I  still  refused,  preferring  to  die  with  him  and  the 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE. 211 

children.  One  of  the  women,  who  had  started  off 
with  the  Indians,  turned  around,  hallooed  to  me  to 
come  with  them,  and,  taking  a  few  steps  to  ward  me, 
was  shot  dead.  At  the  same  time  two  of  the  men 
left  alive  and  six  of  the  women  were  killed,  leaving, 
of  all  the  men,  only  my  husband  alive.  Some  of 
the  children  were  also  killed  at  this  last  fire.  A 
number  of  children  yet  remained  around  the  wagons  ; 
these  the  savages  beat  with  the  butts  of  their  guns 
until  they  supposed  all  were  dead.  Some  soon 
after  rose  up  from  the  ground,  with  the  blood  stream- 
ing down  their  faces,  when  they  were  beaten  again 
and  killed.  This  was  the  most  horrible  scene  I  had 
yet  witnessed. 

I  stood  yet  in  the  wagon,  refusing  to  get  out  and 
go  with  the  murderers,  my  own  husband,  meanwhile, 
begging  me  to  go,  as  he  saw  they  were  about  to  kill 
him.  He  stood  by  the  wagon,  watching  an  Indian 
at  his  right,  ready  to  shoot,  while  another  was  quite 
behind  him,  with  his  gun  aimed  at  him.  I  saw  them 
both  shoot  at  the  same  time.  Both  shots  took  effect 
in  the  body  of  my  husband,  and  one  of  the  balls 
passed  through  his  body  and  struck  my  dress  below 
the  knee.  My  husband  fell  between  the  oxen,  and 
seemed  not  quite  dead,  when  a  third  ball  was  shot 
into  his  head,  and  a  fourth  into  his  shoulder,  which 
probably  entered  his  heart. 

Now  I  determined  to  jump  out  of  the  wagon  and 
die  beside  my  husband ;  but  as  I  was  standing  up 
to  jump,  I  was  shot,  seventeen  buckshot,  as  was 
afterward  ascertained,  entering  my  body.  I  then 
fell  back  into  the  wagon-box.  I  had  eight  children 
in  the  wagon-bed,  and  one  in  a  shawl.  All  these 
were  either  my  own  children  or  else  my  step- 


212  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

children.  What  had  now  become  of  the  children 
in  the  wagon  I  did  not  know,  and  what  was  the  fate 
of  the  baby  I  could  only  surmise. 

All  that  I  then  knew  was  the  fact  that  I  was  seized 
by  an  Indian  and  very  roughly  dragged  from  the 
wagon,  and  that  the  wagon  was  drawn  over  my 
body  and  ankles.  I  suppose  the  Indians  then  left 
me  for  a  time,  how  long  I  do  not  know,  as  I  was  for 
a  time  almost  if  not  quite  insensible.  When  I  was 
shot  the  sun  was  still  shining,  but  when  I  came  to 
it  was  dark.  My  baby,  as  my  children  afterward 
told  me,  was,  when  they  found  it,  lying  about  five 
yards  from  me,  crying.  One  of  my  step-children, 
a  girl  thirteen  years  of  age,  took  the  baby  and  ran 
off.  The  Indians  took  two  with  them.  These  were 
the  two  next  to  the  youngest.  One  of  them,  a  boy 
four  years  old,  taken  first  by  the  Indians,  had  got 
out  of  the  wagon,  or  in  some  other  way,  made  his 
escape,  and  came  back  to  the  dead  body  of  his 
father.  He  took  his  father  by  the  hand,  saying  to 
him,  4papa,  papa,  don't  sleep  so  long !  *  Two  of  the 
Indians  afterward  came  back,  and  one  of  them, 
getting  off  his  horse,  took  the  child  from  the  side 
of  his  father  and  handed  it  to  the  other  on  horse- 
back, who  rode  off  with  it.  This  child  was  after- 
ward recovered  at  Camp  Release.  The  other  one 
I  never  heard  of.  Two  of  the  boys  ran  away  on  the 
first  attack,  and  reached  the  woods,  some  eighty 
rods  distant.  One  climbed  a  tree;  the  younger, 
aged  seven,  remaining  below.  This  eldest  boy, 
aged  eight,  witnessed  the  massacre  of  all  who  were 
killed  at  this  place.  He  remained  in  the  tree  until 
I  was  killed,  as  he  supposed.  He  then  came  down 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  213 

and  told  his  brother  what  he  had  seen,  and  that 
their  mother  was  dead.  While  they  were  crying 
over  the  loss  of  their  parents,  August  Gest,  a  son 
of  a  neighbor,  cautioned  them  to  keep  still,  as  the 
Indians  might  hear  them,  and  come  and  kill  them 
too. 

Here  these  boys  remained  for  three  days  hiding 
as  well  as  they  could  from  the  savages,  who  were 
passing  and  repassing.  The  boys  went  to  neigh- 
boring houses  and  turned  out  cattle  and  horses,  and 
whatever  live  stock  was  shut  up  in  stables,  sheds 
or  pens,  and  in  this  way  occasionally  found  some- 
thing to  eat.  On  Wednesday  morning,  the  20th, 
they  saw  our  house  on  fire.  On  the  third  night 
after  the  massacre,  they  concluded  to  go  to  the  Fort, 
twenty-seven  miles  distant,  in  reaching  which  they 
spent  eight  days  and  nights,  traveling  only  at  night, 
and  hiding  by  day  in  the  grass.  They  all  reached 
the  Fort  in  safety,  but  had  some  very  narrow  escapes. 
They  often  saw  Indians,  but  were  not  themselves 
discovered. 

At  one  time  these  children,  hungry  and  lonely, 
found  a  friendly  cow,  on  whose  rich  milk  they  made 
a  delicious  meal.  Another  time  on  their  journey, 
while  lying  hid  in  the  prairie  grass,  they  discover- 
ed a  team  coming  on  a  road  near  by.  It  carried, 
most  likely,  some  white  family  to  the  Fort.  They 
were  almost  ready  to  jump  up  and  shout  for  joy  at 
the  sight ;  and  now,  when  about  to  run  toward  the 
team,  what  an  awful  shock  these  little  children  were 
doomedto  experience !  Behold,  a  company  of  paint- 
ed savages  arose  from  a  clump  of  grass  close  by 
them,  who  ran  and  captured  the  team,  and,  turning 


214  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

it  the  other  way,  drove  off,  the  screams  of  a  woman 
in  the  wagon  rending  the  air  as  long  as  her  cries 
could  be  heard  in  the  distance  !  Thus  disappoint- 
ed they  hid  closer  than  ever  in  the  grass  until  night, 
and  again  took  up  their  weary  march  to  the  Fort. 
They  knew  not  how  many  dangers  unseen  they  had 
escaped.  They  saw  on  the  route  many  dead  bodies 
of  men,  women,  children  and  animals.  In  one  place 
seven  dead  Indians  were  all  placed  in  a  row.  This 
was  near  Beaver  Creek,  as  they  supposed.  There 
were  also  many  white  people  dead  at  the  latter 
place. 

I  must  now  turn  back  a  moment,  to  trace  the  fate 
of  my  baby.  My  step-daughter,  aged  thirteen,  as 
soon  as  the  Indians  had  left  the  field,  started  off 
for  the  woods.  In  passing  where  I  lay,  and  suppos- 
ing me  dead,  and  finding  the  baby  near,  crying,  she 
hastily  took  it  up,  and  bore  it  off  the  field  of  death 
in  her  arms.  The  other  girl,  my  own  child  six 
years  old,  arose  out  of  the  grass,  and  two  of  the 
other  children  that  had  been  beaten  over  the  head 
and  left  for  dead,  now  recovered  and  went  off  to- 
ward the  woods,  and  soon  rejoined  eacli  other  there. 
These  last  two  were  also  my  step-children.  I  was 
still  lying  on  the  field. 

The  three  largest  of  the  children  who  went  to  the 
woods  returned  to  the  place  of  massacre,  leaving 
the  boy  in  charge  of  the  six-year-old  girl.  As  they 
came  to  the  field  they  found  seven  children  and 
one  woman,  (referred  to  in  a  previous  chapter  as 
found  by  Freniere,)  evincing  some  signs  of  life, 
and  who  had  to  some  extent  recovered.  These 
children  were  a  son  of  Paul  Kitzman,  aged  two  and 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  215 

a  half  years ;  two  sons  of  August  Horning:,  one  and 
three  years  old  ;  a  son  and  daughter  of  Mr.  Ground- 
man,  the  daughter  aged  four  and  the  son  one  year, 
the  girl  having  her  hand  shot  off ;  two  sons  of  Mr. 
Tille,  one  and  two  years  old,  and  a  son  of  Mr.  Urban, 
aged  thirteen.  All  these  were  covered  with  blood, 
had  been  beaten  by  the  butt  of  the  gun  and  hacked 
by  the  tomahawk,  except  the  girl,  whose  hand  had 
been  severed  by  a  gun-shot.  The  woman  found  was 
Anna  Zable.  She  had  received  two  wounds— a  cut 
in  the  shoulder  and  a  stab  in  the  side.  These  were 
all  taken  to  the  house  of  my  husband  by  these  three 
girls.  It  was  now  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday, 
August  20th.  They  remained  in  the  house  all  night, 
doing  all  that  could  be  done  for  each  other.  This 
was  a  terrible  place ! — a  hospital  of  invalid  children, 
with  no  one  older  than  thirteen  years  to  give  di- 
rections for  the  dressing  of  wounds,  nursing  the 
infant  children,  and  giving  food  to  the  hungry,  in  a 
house  that  had  already  been  plundered  of  every- 
thing of  value. 

The  children  cried  piteously  for  their  mothers, 
who  were  dead,  or  in  a  bondage  worse  than  death. 
The  poor  child  with  its  hand  off  moaned  and  sigh- 
ed, saying  to  its  suffering  fellows :  *  Mother  would 
always  take  care  of  me  when  I  was  hurt,  but  now 
she  will  not  come  to  me.'  Poor  child !  her  mother 
was  already  among  the  dead. 

When  daylight  dawned,  Mrs.  Zable,  thinking  it 
unsafe  to  remain  in  this  place,  awoke  the  eldest 
girls  and  on  consultation,  concluded  to  leave  the 
young  children  and  go  into  the  woods,  or  into  the 
prairie.  The  girl  of  thirteen,  and  principal  de- 


216  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

pendence  of  the  little  company,  awoke  my  two  step- 
children, and  the  one  six  years  old  who  had  taken 
charge  of  the  baby  in  the  woods  the  day  previously, 
and  August  Urban,  aged  thirteen.  These,  taking 
with  them  the  baby,  quietly  left  the  house,  and 
went  to  the  place  of  the  massacre  to  look  after  me, 
as  they  knew  I  had  been  left  on  the  field  the  pre- 
vious day.  As  this  little  company  were  looking 
over  the  field,  they  saw  a  savage,  as  they  supposed, 
coming  on  horseback,  who  turned  out,  fortunately, 
to  be  Ant oine  Freniere,  the  interpreter,  who  was 
riding  for  life  to  save  if  possible  his  own  family. 
These  children  and  Mrs.  Zable,  after  seeing 
Freniere,  went  about  eighty  rods  from  the  field  of 
the  late  massacre,  and  hid  in  the  grass  near  a  small 
creek.  They  were  here  but  a  very  short  time ,  when 
the  savages  from  the  river,  with  the  ox-teams  pre- 
viously taken  from  the  party  now  dead,  came  to  the 
field,  and  stripping  off  the  clothing  from  men  and 
women,  went  toward  the  houses.  They  were  soon 
seen  at  our  house,  gathering  plunder ;  and  when 
this  was  completed,  they  set  fire  to  the  house,  and 
with  its  destruction  perished  the  seven  children 
left  there  a  short  time  before !  To  this  awful  scene 
the  escaping  party  were  eye-witnesses!  The  In- 
dians departed  while  the  house  was  in  flames,  and 
the  children  came  to  Mrs.  Tille's  house  near  the 
woods,  and  being  very  hungry,  diligently  hunted 
the  house  over,  and  found  flour  and  butter,  and 
there  cooked  their  dinner.  Here,  too,  they  fed  the 
baby.  They  remained  in  the  woods  around  the 
houses  of  the  settlement  for  three  days.  The  third 
day  they  sa\v  a  body  of  Indians  go  to  the  house  of 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  217 

August  Pros,  plunder  it  of  all  valuables,  and  carry 
them  away  in  a  wagon.  The  baby  had  been  left  at 
Mr.  Tille's  house,  asleep  on  the  bed,  where  the 
party  had  last  taken  dinner. 

The  little  girls  and  Mrs.  Zable,  being  frightened 
by  the  sight  of  these  Indians,  hid  themselves  in  the 
woods  until  dark.  They  then  started  for  the  Fort, 
and  soon  passed  by  our  house,  yet  smouldering. 
They  also  passed  the  field  of  death,  resting  by  day 
and  traveling  by  night.  In  this  way  they  journey- 
ed eleven  days. 

The  incidents  of  this  wonderful  journey  would  be 
worthy  of  a  long  description.  They  saw  many  dead 
bodies,  both  of  white  people  and  Indians.  Indians, 
in  small  parties,  were  frequently  seen  prowling 
over  the  prairie  and  in  the  timber.  The  food  of  the 
children  was  principally  corn,  eaten  raw,  as  they 
had  no  means  of  making  a  fire.  They  found  a  camp 
kettle,  which  they  used  in  carrying  water  a  part  of 
the  time.  They  left  the  baby  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Tille,  and  no  further  tidings  has  ever  been  heard 
of  it. 

Our  escaping  party,  when  in  sight  of  the  Fort, 
did  not  know  the  place.  They  feared  it  was  an  In- 
dian camp.  Before  this,  one  had  come  near  being 
left  for  dead.  The  child  six  years  old,  on  the  last 
day  of  their  travel,  had  fallen  down  from  exhaustion 
and  hunger,  and  Mrs.  Zable  advised  the  eldest  girl 
to  leave  her  and  go  on,  but  the  other  children  scream- 
ed and  cried  so  piteously  at  the  very  idea,  that  the 
advice  was  not  heeded.  The  little  sufferer,  too, 
showed  signs  of  life.  They  all  halted,  and  the  ad- 
vanced ones  came  back,  and  being  near  a  creek  the 


218  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

child  was  taken  to  it,  and  was  soon  revived  by  the 
free  use  of  water  on  its  head.  Here  they  remained 
for  some  time,  and,  finding:  the  rind  of  a  melon  in 
the  road,  gave  it  to  the  fainting  child,  and  by  rest 
and  the  tender  care  of  the  other  children,  it  was 
again  able  to  journey  on  with  the  others. 

They  had  ascended  the  hill,  near  the  Fort,  and 
there  sat  down  to  deliberate  what  to  do.  Whether 
what  they  saw  was  an  Indian  encampment,  or  Fort 
Ridgely,  they  could  not  readily  determine.  The 
children  believed  the  discovery  to  be  Fort  Ridgely, 
but  Mrs.  Zable  thought  it  a  camp  of  savages.  Fi- 
nally the  children  declared  they  saw  the  troops 
plainly.  This  turned  out  to  be  true,  as  the  troops 
soon  came  toward  them,  having  discovered  this 
little  company  on  the  prairie.  The  five  children 
were  soon  in  the  wagon  brought  for  their  rescue, 
but  the  doubting  Mrs.  Zable,  supposing  the  Indians 
coming,  made  off  from  the  rescuers  as  fast  as  she 
could.  The  troops  soon  caught  her,  and  all  were 
brought  into  the  Fort.  They  were  a  forlorn-looking 
company— some  wounded  by  hatchet-cuts,  others 
beaten  by  the  butts  of  guns,  and  others  still  bleed- 
ing from  wounds  made  by  gun-shots,  and  all  nearly 
famished  by  hunger  and  thirst,  and  scantily  cover- 
ed by  a  few  rags  yet  hanging  to  their  otherwise 
naked  persons. 

As  for  myself,  I  remained  on  the  field  of  the 
massacre,  and  in  the  place  where  I  fell  when  I  was 
shot,  until  about  midnight  of  Tuesday,  August  19th. 
All  this  time  or  nearly  so,  unconscious  of  passing 
events  I  did  not  even  hear  the  boy  cry.  All  that 
part  of  the  narrative  covered  by  this  period  of  time 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  219 

I  relate  upon  the  testimony  of  my  children,  who  re- 
ported the  same  to  me.  At  this  time  of  night  I 
arose  from  the  field  of  the  dead,  with  a  feeble  abil- 
ity to  move  at  all.  I  soon  heard  the  tread  of  savage 
men,  speaking  in  the  Sioux  language.  They  came 
near,  and  proved  to  be  two  savages  only.  These 
two  went  over  the  field,  examining  the  dead  bodies, 
to  rob  them  of  what  yet  remained  upon  them.  They 
soon  came  to  me,  kicked  me,  then  felt  my  pulse, 
first  on  the  right  hand,  then  on  the  left,  and,  to  be 
sure,  felt  for  the  pulsation  of  the  heart.  I  remain- 
ed silent,  holding  my  breath.  They  probably  sup- 
posed me  dead.  They  conversed  in  Sioux  for  a 
moment.  I  shut  my  eyes,  and  awaited  what  else 
was  to  befall  me  with  a  shudder.  The  next  moment 
a  sharp-pointed  knife  was  felt  at  my  throat,  then, 
passing  downward,  to  the  lower  portion  of  the  abdo- 
men, cutting  not  only  the  clothing  entirely  from  my 
body,  but  actually  penetrating  the  flesh,  making  but 
a  slight  wound  on  the  chest,  but,  at  the  pit  of  the 
stomach,  entering  the  body  to  the  intestines !  My 
arms  were  then  taken  separately  out  of  the  clothing. 
I  was  seized  rudely  by  the  hair,  and  hurled  head- 
long to  the  ground,  entirely  naked,  How  long  I 
was  unconscious  I  cannot  imagine,  yet  I  think  it 
was  not  a  great  while.  When  I  came  to  I  beheld 
one  of  the  most  horrible  sights  I  had  ever  seen,  in 
the  person  of  myself !  I  saw,  also,  these  two  savages 
about  eight  rods  off ;  a  light  from  the  north,  prob- 
ably the  aurora,  enabling  me  to  see  objects  at  some 
distance.  At  the  same  time  I  discovered  my  own 
condition,  I  saw  one  of  these  inhuman  savages 
seize  poor  Wilhelmina  Kitzman,  who  was  my  niece, 
and  yet  alive,  hold  her  up  by  the  foot,  her  head 
downward,  her  clothes  falling  over  her  head ;  while 


220  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

holding:  her  there  by  one  hand,  in  the  other  he  grasp- 
ed a  knife,  with  which  he  hastily  cut  the  flesh  around 
one  of  the  legs,  close  to  the  body,  and  then,  by 
twisting  and  wrenching,  broke  the  ligaments  and 
bone,  until  the  limb  was  entirely  severed  from  the 
body,  the  child  screaming  frantically,  4  O,  God,  O, 
God. '  When  the  limb  was  off,  the  child,  thus  muti- 
lated, was  thrown  down  on  the  ground,  stripped  of 
her  clothing,  and  left  to  die  !  The  other  children  of 
Paul  Kitzman  were  then  taken  along  with  the  In- 
dians, crying  most  piteously.  I  now  lay  down,  and 
for  some  hours  knew  nothing  more. 

Hearing  nothing  now,  I  tried  to  get  up,  and  labor- 
ed a  long  time  to  do  so.  I  finally  succeeded  in 
getting  up  on  my  left  side  and  left  arm,  my  right 
side  being  dead  and  useless.  I  now  discovered,  too, 
my  clothing  was  all  off.  I  tried  to  find  some  dead 
person,  to  get  clothing  to  cover  me.  I  could  not 
get  any,  for  when  I  found  a  dead  person  with  clothes 
yet  on,  I  saw  Indian  ponies  close  by,  and  fearing 
Indians  were  near,  I  made  no  further  attempt.  I 
then  crawled  off  toward  my  own  house,  to  hunt 
something  to  put  on  me,  and,  when  near  the  house, 
I  discovered  something  dark,  close  by,  which  turn- 
ed out  to  be  my  own  clothes,  which  had  been  torn 
from  me.  I  bound  them  around  me  as  well  as  I 
could,  and,  not  daring  to  enter  the  house,  which 
was  not  yet  burned,  I  turned  my  course  toward  Fort 
Ridgely.  It  was  yet  night,  but  was  light,  from  the 
aurora  perhaps  ;  at  least  I  saw  no  moon. 

I  made  first  to  a  creek,  some  five  hundred  yards 
from  the  house,  and  washed  the  blood  from  my 
person,  bathed  my  wounds  and  drank  some  water. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  221 

This  night  I  made  six  miles,  according:  to  my  es- 
timate. I  here  came  to  a  settlement  in  the  timber, 
on  some  creek  that  put  into  the  Minnesota  River. 
I  did  not  know  the  name  of  the  settlement.  It  was 
now  near  daylight.  Here  I  remained,  weak,  sick, 
wounded  and  faint  from  loss  of  blood,  for  three  long 
days,  drinking  water,  and  this  was  my  only  nourish- 
ment all  this  time.  At  the  end  of  these  three  days 
I  heard  Indians  around,  and  being  afraid  of  still 
other  injuries,  made  my  way  to  the  left,  through 
the  prairie,  and  thought  to  find  the  Chippewa  In- 
dians, but  I  found  none.  I  saw  plenty  of  Sioux  In- 
dians. 

I  think  it  was  Saturday,  the  23rd  of  August,  I  lay 
down  and  thought  I  should  die  of  hunger.  I  then 
took  to  eating  grass,  and  drank  water  from  the 
sloughs.  In  this  way  I  traveled  at  night,  and  lay 
by  during  the  day.  On  Sunday  night  I  came  to  a 
creek  and  found  many  dead  persons.  I  turned  over 
one  of  these  to  see  whether  he  was  a  white  man  or 
an  Indian,  but  he  smelled  so  badly  I  turned  him 
down  again  without  ascertaining.  He  had  on  a 
white  shirt  and  dark  pants,  and  I  suppose  he  was 
a  white  man.  I  saw  great  quantities  of  bedding, 
furniture  and  books  scattered  and  torn  in  pieces,  at 
a  creek  far  out  on  the  prairie.  It  was  not  Beaver 
Creek.  The  same  night  I  crossed  this  creek.  The 
water  was  up  to  my  armpits,  and  the  cane  grass  tall 
and  thick.  Here  again  I  saw  more  dead  persons. 
One  woman  was  lying  on  her  back,  and  a  child  near 
by,  pulled  asunder  by  the  legs.  I  then  traveled 
around  on  the  prairie,  saw  no  roads,  had  nothing  to 
eat.  and  no  water  for  three  days. 


222  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

During:  my  wanderings,  early  in  the  morning:,  I 
gathered  the  dew  from  the  grass  in  my  hand,  and 
drank  it ;  and  when  my  clothes  became  wet  with 
dew,  I  sucked  the  water  from  them.  This  gave  me 
great  relief  from  the  burning  thirst  I  experienced. 
Finally,  at  the  end  of  these  three  days  of  terrible 
suffering,  I  came  to  a  road.  This  road  I  followed, 
and  in  a  low  place  found  some  standing  water  in 
puddles  in  the  mud,  and  tried  to  get  it  in  my  clothes, 
but  the  water  was  too  shallow.  I  then  got  down 
and  sucked  up  and  eagerly  drank  the  water  from 
the  mud.  My  tongue  and  lips  were  now  cracked 
open  from  thirst.  After  this  I  went  on  and  found 
two  dead  bodies  on  the  road,  and,  a  few  steps  farther, 
a  number  of  men,  women  and  children,  all  dead ! 
On  the  thirteenth  day  I  came  to  Bearer  Creek,  and, 
for  the  first  time  found  out  for  certain  where  I  was. 
Here  I  discovered  a  house  in  a  field,  went  to  it,  and 
saw  that  everything  had  been  destroyed.  The  dog 
was  alive,  and  seemed  to  be  barking  at  some  one, 
but  showed  friendship  for  me.  Being  afraid  that 
savages  were  around,  I  went  again  into  the  woods. 
After  staying  there  for  a  short  time  a  shot  was  fired, 
and  then  I  heard  some  person  calling,  I  thought  in 
German.  I  did  not  answer  the  call  as  I  did  not 
think  it  was  for  me.  But,  after  alf  was  still  I  went 
on,  and  passed  Beaver  Creek,  went  up  the  hill,  and 
then  saw  an  Indian,  with  a  gun  pointed  at  some  ob- 
ject. He  soon  went  off  in  an  opposite  direction 
without  discovering  me.  Fearing  others  were  about, 
I  went  to  the  woods,  and  being  wearied,  lay  down 
and  slept.  I  do  not  know  how  long  I  slept,  but 
when  I  awoke  it  was  about  noon. 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  223 

I  was  again  lost,  and  did  not  know  where  to  go. 
I  wandered  about  in  the  woods,  hunting  for  my 
way,  and  finally,  as  the  evening  star  appeared,  I 
found  my  direction,  taking  an  eastern  course  until 
1  came  to  a  creek  again.  I  now  saw  I  must  be  near 
the  Minnesota  River.  I  went  into  a  house  near  by, 
took  a  piece  of  buffalo-robe,  went  to  the  river  bot- 
tom and  lay  down  to  rest.  Here  I  found  wild  plums, 
and  ate  some  of  them.  This  night  it  rained  long 
and  hard.  On  the  next  morning  I  found  that  I  was 
too  weak  and  tired  to  travel,  and  so  remained  all 
that  day  and  all  the  next  night,  wishing  that  the 
savages  might  come  and  put  an  end  to  my  sufferings. 
It  rained  all  this  day. 

Here  I  felt  sure  I  must  die,  and  that  I  should 
never  leave  this  place  alive.  The  cold  sweat  was 
on  my  forehead.  With  great  effort  I  raised  up  to 
take  one  more  look  around  me,  and  to  my  surprise 
I  saw  two  persons  with  guns,  but  could  not  tell 
whether  they  were  white  men  or  Indians.  I  rejoiced 
however,  because  I  thought  they  would  put  an  end 
to  my  sufferings.  But,  as  they  came  near  I  saw 
they  had  bayonets,  and  knew  they  were  white  sol- 
diers, and  made  signs  for  them  to  come  to  me.  The 
soldiers,  fearing  some  trick,  seemed  afraid  to  come 
near  me.  After  making  sundry  examinations  they 
finally  came  up.  One  of  my  neighbors,  Lewis  Daily, 
first  advanced,  and  seeing  I  was  a  white  woman, 
called  to  his  partner,  who  also  came.  They  soon 
brought  me  some  water,  and  gave  me  a  drink,  and 
wet  my  head,  washed  my  face  and  carried  me  to  a 
house  near  by.  Here  they  proposed  to  leave  me 
until  the  other  troops  came  up,  but  yielding  to  my 


224  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

earnest  entreaty  they  carried  me  along  until  the 
other  portion  of  the  soldiers  arrived.  One  of  them 
went  into  a  house  and  found  a  dress,  and  put  it  on 
me,  the  clothes  I  had  on  being  all  torn  to  pieces. 
Dr.  Daniels  came  along  directly,  examined  my 
wounds,  and  gave  me  some  water  and  wine,  made 
a  requisition  for  a  wagon,  fixed  up  a. bed  and  had 
me  placed  upon  it.  Now  the  train  followed  along 
the  river  bottom  some  distance,  then  took  to  the 
open  prairie.  Here  we  found  a  woman  cut  into  four 
pieces,  and  two  children  by  her,  cut  in  pieces  also. 
They  buried  these  bodies,  and  passed  down  from 
Henderson's  house  in  the  direction  of  the  Fort.  All 
the  soldiers  seemed  to  take  great  care  of  me.  The 
doctor  dressed  my  wounds,  and  did  all  that  could 
be  done  for  me.  The  wagon  I  was  in  soon  came  in- 
to company  with  the  burial  party  who  were  going 
into  camp  at  Birch  Coulie. 

The  savages  attacked  this  burial  party  oh  the 
same  night  after  I  was  rescued  by  the  soldiers,  or 
rather  on  the  following  morning,  Tuesday,  Sep- 
tember 2nd.  In  that  disastrous  affair  (the  battle  of 
Birch  Coulie)  it  was  thought  proper  to  overturn  all 
the  wagons,  as  a  means  of  better  security  against 
the  murderous  fire  of  the  Indians.  When  they  came 
to  the  wagon  in  which  I  lay,  some  one  said,  'do  not 
overturn  that  wagon,  for  it  contains  a  sick  woman,' 
and  they  passed  by.  This  was  the  only  wagon  left 
standing.  Behind  the  wagons  and  dead  horses,  kill- 
ed by  the  Indians,  our  men  lay  on  the  ground  and 
fought  the  savages  with  a  determination  seldom  If 
ever  equaled.  It  was  victory  or  death.  I  was  in  a 
good  position  to  see  and  hear  all  that  went  on  dur- 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE.  225 

ing  the  battle.  I  was,  too,  in  a  most  exposed  position. 
The  wagon  was  a  fine  mark.  Standing  up  as  it  did 
above  everything:  else  on  the  open  prairie,  it  afford- 
ed the  best  possible  target  for  savage  marksmen. 
The  wagon  was  literally  shot  to  pieces.  Some  of 
the  spokes  were  shot  off.  The  cover  was  complete- 
ly riddled  with  ball-holes.  The  cup  in  which  I  at- 
tempted to  take  my  medicine  during  the  fight,  was 
knocked  away  from  my  mouth  by  a  passing  rifle  ball. 
I  did  not  attempt  to  reclaim  it.  The  smell  of  gun- 
powder almost  took  my  breath  away.  Some  five 
slight  wounds  was  all  the  damage  I  sustained  in 
this  awful  battle.  I  saw  it  all,  from  the  commence- 
ment to  the  close.  Sleep  was  impossible,  and  my 
hearing  was  wonderfully  acute.  The  battle  lasted 
all  the  day  Tuesday,  and  all  the  night  following, 
until  about  midnight,  when  the  firing  ceased  for  a 
while  on  both  sides.  Whether  the  weary  white  men 
or  the  savage  Indians  slept,  I  do  not  know,  but  I 
could  not  sleep.  About  daylight  on  Wednesday, 
September  3rd,  the  firing  commenced  again  on  both 
sides.  Some  time  in  the  forenoon  I  heard  our  sol- 
diers crying  aloud  for  joy.  The  shout  went  up : 
*  Reinforcements  coming.' 

When  the  Indians  left  to  go  toward  the  reinforce- 
ments, the  doctor  and  an  officer  came  to  look  after 
me,  supposing  I  could  not  have  escaped  so  murder- 
ous afire.  They  seemed  perfectly  astonished  at 
finding  me  alive,  and  unhurt,  except  by  the  slight 
marks  made  by  some  five  balls  merely  drawing 
blood  from  the  skin.  How  I  escaped  must  ever  re- 
main a  mystery  to  myself  and  others.  The  blanket 
given  me  by  a  soldier,  and  in  which  I  was  wrapped 


226  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

up  in  the  wagon  during  the  battle  of  Birch  Coulie, 
was  found,  on  examination,  to  have  received  over 
two  hundred  bullet-holes  during  the  fight,  and  yet 
I  was  not  hit  except  as  stated.  Who  can  imagine 
such  an  escape  ?  Yet,  I  did  escape,  and  am  now 
(June,  1873,)  alive  to  tell  the  story. 

When  the  troops  had  buried  their  dead  we  return- 
ed to  Fort  Ridgely.  Here  I  was  placed  under  charge 
of  Dr.  Muller,  surgeon  of  the  post.  I  hardly  knew 
whether  I  was  in  the  hospital  or  at  the  doctor's 
home,  but  I  shall  never  forget  the  kind  care  taken 
of  me  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Muller.  The  doctor  extracted 
some  nine  buckshot  from  my  shoulders,  and  the 
other  eight  are  yet  there,  as  they  could  not  be  taken 
out.  My  various  wounds  did  not  trouble  me  much, 
and  were  soon  all  healed. 

At  the  Fort  I  found  four  of  my  children,— all  ex- 
cept one,  children  of  my  first  husband.  Two  of  my 
own  boys,  eight  and  nine  years  old,  who  had  escap- 
ed with  the  thirteen-year-old  August  Urban,  had 
reached  the  Fort  and  been  sent  to  St.  Paul.  At  the 
Fort  I  also  found  the  five  girls  who  came  in  with 
Mrs.  Zable.  Three  of  these  were  my  first  husband's 
children,  and  one  of  them  my  own  by  my  first  hus- 
band. My  children  had  all  been  taken  to  my  mother's, 
in  Wisconsin,  where  I  hastened,  after  a  few  days 
at  the  Fort,  to  find  them.  I  later  recovered  the 
child  that  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians, 
which  was  delivered  to  Col.  Sibley  at  Camp  Re- 
lease." 

The  heroine  of  this  most  remarkable  experience 
was  a  native  of  Posen,  Prussia,  born  July  13,  1835, 
and  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  Andrew  Kitzman, 


THE  SIOUX  MASSACRE  227 

who,  with  his  family  of  fourteen  children,  immigrat- 
ed to  America  and  located  near  Green  Lake,  Mar- 
quette  County,  Wisconsin,  in  territorial  days.  Mrs. 
Kreiger  and  husband,  with  a  large  family  of  children, 
had  taken  up  their  new  home  in  the  beautiful  Minne- 
sota valley  less  than  ninety  days  preceding  the 
Sioux  Massacre.  History  knows  no  more  thrilling 
experience  than  that  of  this  remarkable  woman  and 
her  family  friends  on  the  Minnesota  border. 


Lieut.  T.  J.  SHEEHAN,  Commander   of     Lieut.  T.  P.  GERE,  Who  Commanded 
Fort  Ridgely  During  Siege.  at  Fort  Ridgely  Aug.  18,  1862. 


Sergeant  JAMES  G.  McGREW,  Sergeant  JOHN  F.  BISHOP. 

Officers  Who  were  Prominent  in  the  Defense  of 
Fort  Ridgely. 

Pictures  were  taken  during  Civil  War,  shortly  after  the  Sioux  Massacre. 


Private  WILLIAM  J.  STURGIS, 

Who  bore  the  first  dispatch  to  Gov.  Ramsey,  announcing  the  massacre.     Photo 
taken  43  years  after  close  of  Civil  War.     See  page  107. 


W.  H.  BLODGETT, 

Taken  just  before  the  outbreak.     See  foot-note,  page  63. 


NATHAN    LAMPSON. 

The  man  who,  with  his  son  Chauncey,  killed 
Little  Crow.     See  page  187. 


ONLY  LIVING  MEMBERS  OF  COMPANY  B,  FIFTH  MINNESO- 
TA, WHO  DEFENDED  FORT  RIDGELY.—  1,  Christopher  Boyer;  2,  O. 
G.  Wall:  3,  Lieut.  T.  P.  Gere;  4,  E.  F.  Nehrhood ;  5,  M.  H.  Wilson;  6,  C. 
M.  Culver.  On  these  two  pages  (4  and  5)  are  shown  the  only  known  living 
members  of  Company  B,  Fifth  Minnesota  Infantry  Volunteers,  who  were  defend- 
ers of  Fort  Ridgely  during  the  Sioux  Massacre.  Of  the  1 2  survivors  the  six  on  this 
page  were  of  the  party  of  Lieut.  T.  P.  Gere,  who  commanded  Fort  Ridgely  Au- 
gust 18,  1862.  (Pictures  shown  in  groups  are  numbered  from  left  to  right.) 


SURVIVORS  OF  COMPANY  B  WHO  WERE  AT  REDWOOD 
FERRY  AUG.  18,  1862.— 1,  Sergeant  John  F.  Bishop;  2,  W.  H.  Blodgett; 
3,  Levi  Carr ;  4,  W.  B.  Hutchinson ;  5,  Ole  Svendson ;  6,  Stephen  Van  Buren. 

The  six  survivors  shown  above  were  with  Capt.  Marsh  at  the  Redwood  Ferry, 
August  18,  1862,  when  24  out  of  47  of  Marsh's  men  were  killed.  After  the  death 
of  Marsh,  a  remnant  of  his  detachment  was  conducted  skilfully  under  great  diffi- 
culties to  Fort  Ridgely  by  that  efficient  officer  and  always  capable  soldier,  Sergeant 
John  F.  Bishop,  of  above  group. 


FORT  RIDGELY    MONUMENT. 


BIRCH  COULIE  and  GOOD^INDIAN  Monuments  at  Morton,  Minnestoa. 


"OLD    BETZ." 

A  frequent   visitor  of   Fort  Ridgely  up  to  time  of  outbreak.     Was  said  to  be 
120  years  old.     See  page  148. 


Sibley  Expedition  of  1  863. 


During  the  fall  of  1862  and 
winter  of  1863  an  army  was 
collected  at  the  various  posts 
and  temporary  stockades  of 
the  state,  preparatory  to  a 
strong  movement  into  the  ene- 
my's country  northwestward 
in  the  early  summer  of  1863. 
Only  a  few  of  the  guilty  In- 
dians had  been  apprehended 
and  punished  in  the  autumn 
of  1862,  hundreds  of  them 
having  escaped  to  the  plains 
lying  between  the  Red  River 
and  the  Missouri,  with  the  up- 
per boundary  of  their  range  extending  to  the  Devils  Lake 
country. 

The  Sioux  Reservation,  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak, 
extended  from  a  point  not  far  below  Fort  Ridgely,  but 
on  the  opposite,  or  south  and  west  side  of  the  Minnesota 
River,  to  the  head  of  Big  Stone  or  Eah-ton-ka  lake.  This 
reservation  was  ten  miles  in  width,  and  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  was  divided  by  the  Yellow 
Medicine  River,  flowing  into  the  Minnesota.  That  por- 
tion below  the  Yellow  Medicine  was  known  as  the  Lower 
Reservation,  whose  "capital"  was  the  Redwood  Agency, 
and  was  occupied  by  the  M'daywakanton  and  Wakpakuta 
Indians,  and  that  above  the  Yellow  Medicine  as  the  Up- 


238 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 


MAP  SHOWING  ROUTE  OF  THE  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION  OF 
1863,  AS  ADJUSTED  TO  THE  DAKOTAS  OF  TO- 
DAY,  THE  EXPEDITION  PASSING  PRIN- 
CIPALLY OVER  WHAT  IS  NOW 
NORTH  DAKOTA. 

per  Reservation,  with  headquarters  at  the  Yellow  Medi- 
cine Agency,  occupied  by  the  Sissetons  and  Wahpaytons. 
It  was  the  lower  Indians  who  precipitated  the  outbreak, 
and  though  many  of  the  upper  Indians  were  involved, 
there  were,  however,  many  who  were  kept  out  of  it 
through  the  influence  of  Standing  Buffalo  and  other 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  239 

northern  chiefs.  Driven  from  the  scenes  of  their  awful 
depredations,  the  lower  Indians  retreated  into  the  land 
of  the  Sissetons  and  Wahpaytons,  much  to  the  displeas- 
ure of  the  latter,  and  particularly  to  that  portion  of  the 
latter  who  had  refused  to  stain  their  hands  with  the  blood 
of  the  whites. 

A  civilized  Indian,  and  one  who  did  great  service  for 
the  whites,  when  to  do  it  imperiled  his  own  life,  gave  it 
as  his  opinion  that  a  very  large  number  of  the  upper 
Indians  resisted  the  temptations  and  entreaties  of  their 
lower  brethren  to  join  in  the  uprising.  Some  of  the  up- 
per chiefs  and  many  of  the  old  and  better  disposed  war- 
riors were  outspoken  against  the  massacre,  and  these 
men,  though  unpopular  with  the  less  sturdy  element, 
exerted  a  strong  influence  during  the  outbreak  and  later 
in  the  delivery  to  the  authorities  of  the  white  captives. 

It  has  always  been  regretable  that  all  the  northern  In- 
dians were  put  upon  practically  the  same  basis  by  the 
Government  in  the  prosecution  of  the  campaigns  of 
1863-4.  The  decades  that  have  since  flown  permit  of  a 
rational  analysis  of  that  bloody  chapter  in  Minnesota  his- 
tory known  as  the  Sioux  Massacre.  The  whole  Dakota 
race  was  under  distrust.  The  Indians  who  were  true  at 
heart,,  and  who  against  strong  pressure  from  the  domi- 
nant element,  opposed  the  heartless  massacre,  were  In- 
dians, and  in  the  inflamed  condition  of  the  public  mind 
fine  distinctions  were  not  drawn.  The  better  element  of 
Indians  felt  this  indiscriminate  censure,  save  in  a  very 
few  notable  instances.  The  lawless  had  brought  the  entire 
race  under  the  ban.  The  few  loyal  and  faithful  who  were 
under  the  public  eye  received  full  credit  for  their  good 
deeds,  but  not  so  those  who  were  entirely  beyond  the 
horizon  of  the  seat  of  carnage.  The  great  mass  whose 
hands  were  stained  with  innocent  blood,  and  whose 
monstrous  crimes  had  gone  on  lightning  wings  to  appall 
humanity  in  the  remotest  limits  of  the  globe,  spread  to  the 
plains  of  the  Northwest  like  a  loathsome  pestilence,  after 
their  defeat,  to  overwhelm  with  disgrace  and  contamina- 
tion the  bands  who  had  stood  aloof.  Those  whose  souls 


240  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

were  the  deepest  dyed  in  crime  pushed  northward  to  near 
the  British  border,  where  they  spent  a  winter  of  hard- 
ships (1862-3)  that  gave  them  ample  opportunity  to 
reflect  upon  the  ways  of  the  transgressor ;  but  they 
dropped  southward  in  the  spring  and  merged  themselves 
into  all  other  elements  of  their  race  indiscriminately,  so 
all  were  hunted  alike  and  all  put  upon  the  same  basis  in 
whatever  punishment  was  administered. 

The  campaign  of  1863  was  organized  by  Gen.  John 
Pope,  the  plan  being  to  completely  subdue  the  Sioux 
hordes.  Two  expeditions  were  designed  to  execute  the 
plans  of  the  Department  Commander,  one  under  Gen.  H. 
H.  Sibley,  organized  in  Minnesota,  and  the  other  under 
the  command  of  Gen.  Alfred  Sully,  the  latter  organized 
and  outfitted  at  Sioux  City,  Iowa. 

In  the  spring  of  1863  the  troops  in  Minnesota  were 
shifted  about  from  post  to  post  to  inure  the  men  to  hard- 
ships and  exposure.  The  conditions  were  indeed  trying, 
and  may  well  be  illustrated  by  the  experience  of  one 
company  of  cavalry,  as  a  sample  of  what  all  endured 
through  this  shifting  process. 

Hardships    of    Frontier    Military    Service— Hauling 
Wagons  by  Man-power. 

On  April  8,  1863,  Co.  F  of  the  First  Minnesota  Cavalry 
(Mounted  Rangers)  left  Fort  Snelling  for  Sauk  Center 
to  relieve  a  company  ordered  elsewhere.  The  weather 
was  cold,  the  ground  still  full  of  frost,  and  lingering 
snow-drifts  were  visible.  The  sky  was  obscured  by  dull 
clouds  throughout  the  8th,  the  first  day  out,  while  a  pene- 
trating north  wind  blew  a  gale.  This  the  men  faced. 
At  night,  instead  of  turning  into  the  dry  bunks  to  which 
all  had  been  accustomed  for  months,  the  soldiers  lay  upon 
frozen  ground  with  one  rubber  and  one  woolen  blanket 
beneath  them,  and  a  blanket  over  them,  a  tent  sheltering 
them  from  the  night  wind.  The  next  day's  march  was 
under  partially  clear  skies,  but  in  weather  full  of  chill. 
The  wind  had  sufficiently  abated  by  night  to  make  it 
possible  to  extract  comfort  from  a  camp  fire,  but  sleep- 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  241 

ing  with  comfort  was  quite  out  of  the  question.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  night  a  tempest  sprang  up  from  the 
northeast.  Breakfast  was  prepared  in  a  blinding  snow- 
storm and  howling  wind.  There  was  no  shelter  for  the 
fires,  and  nothing  of  which  to  make  a  successful  shelter. 
Coffee  could  not  be  brought  to  the  boiling  point,  and 
was  "good"  only  in  the  degree  of  warmth  to  which  it 
had  attained.  A  pelting  storm  continued  throughout  the 
day's  march,  rain  and  snow  alternating  at  intervals. 
There  was  not  a  dry  thread  in  the  company,  and  the 
men  were  benumbed  with  cold.  St.  Cloud,  then  an  un- 
pretentious village,  was  reached  late  in  the  afternoon,  and 
the  village  of  St.  Joseph  at  night.  Capt.  Joseph  R. 
Daniels  requested  the  citizens  of  the  latter  place  to  open 
their  houses  to  the  men,  but  they  absolutely  refused  to 
do  so.  The  people  were  utterly  dead  to  sympathy  or 
feeling.  In  fact,  there  appeared  a  general  anti-Union 
spirit,  heightened  by  the  presence  of  soldiers.  The  re- 
quest being  met  with  a  negative  on  all  sides,  Capt.  Daniels 
ordered  his  men  to  take  possession  of  all  the  barns  in 
the  village,  if  needs  be  turning  out  everything  they  con- 
tained. The  people  heard  the  order  with  a  sullen  scowl, 
and  started  for  their  stables  in  several  instances  to  pre- 
vent the  execution  of  the  order;  but  they  were  swept 
aside  by  the  wet  and  shivering  men,  who  only  needed  a 
tip  of  authority  from  their  commander,  for  a  refusal  of 
a  reasonable  request  for  their  comfort  under  the  cir- 
cumstances had  angered  the  men  to  the  limit  of  endur- 
ance. The  same  all-day  storm  still  raged  at  night,  mak- 
ing it  impossible  to  start  or  maintain  fires.  The  men, 
drenched  to  the  skin  and  benumbed,  took  care  of  their 
horses,  and  in  the  darkness  that  had  gathered  climbed 
into  the  haymows  to  lunch  off  the  cold  rations  fished 
from  their  haversacks. 

The  skies  were  more  auspicious  on  the  morning  of 
the  fourth  day,  April  11,  but  the  roads  were  bad  in  the 
extreme.  The  company,  however,  reached  its  destina- 
tion and  found  warm  and  dry  quarters  awaiting  it  with- 
in the  Sauk  Center  stockade.  Later  it  was  ordered  to 


242  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

Fort  Ridgely  over  roads  incomparably  bad,  by  the  way 
of  Forest  City,  Hutchinson,  etc.  Much  of  this  region, 
owing  to  heavy  spring  rains  and  lack  of  drainage  and 
bridges,  was  a  mere  bog,  in  which  mule-teams  were  ut- 
terly useless,  and  cavalry  horses,  even  without  their 
mounts,  were  gotten  through  with  difficulty.  The  won- 
derful efficiency  of  man-power  was  well  illustrated  on 
this  trip.  When  the  soft  spot  to  be  crossed  was  more 
than  two  or  three  rods  wide,  the  teams  were  unhitched 
and  the  animals  separately  gotten  across  in  the  most  con- 
venient way  possible.  A  long  line  was  attached  to  a 
wagon  and  sixty  to  eighty  men  would  bend  to  the  task 
of  pulling  it  through.  At  times  the  sloughs  to  be  crossed 
were  twenty  to  forty  rods  in  width.  Across  these  one 
heavily-loaded  wagon  was  taken  at  a  time,  mired  now 
and  then  to  the  hubs.  The  long  line  made  it  possible, 
however,  for  some  of  the  men  to  be  at  all  times  on  fairly 
decent  footing,  and  human  intelligence  made  it  possible 
to  take  advantage  of  every  favoring  foothold.  The  load 
men  will  thus  move  over  otherwise  impassable  roads  is 
scarcely  believable:  but  the  days  devoted  to  this  sort 
of  service  told  heavily,  for  not  only  was  the  service  itself 
arduous,  but  the  men  were  in  mud  and  water  to  their 
hips  for  hours  at  a  time,  for  usually  the  sloughs  were 
only  separated  by  narrow  ridges.  Add  to  this  march- 
ing, scouting  and  guard  duty,  and  the  reader  has  a  basis 
for  forming  an  idea  what  frontier  military  service  con- 
sisted of. 

Assembling  an  Army  for  the  Sibley  Expedition. 

Early  in  June  the  process  of  assembling  an  army  in 
the  valley  of  the  Minnesota,  three  or  four  miles  above 
the  mouth  of  the  Redwood  River,  began.  This  place 
of  rendezvous  was  designated  Camp  Pope,  in  honor  of 
the  major  general  commanding  the  department.  From 
all  the  military  posts  of  the  state,  including  the  many 
frontier  villages  where  stockades  had  been  erected,  every 
available  man  was  drawn,  leaving  only  a  force  sufficient 
for  garrison  and  patrol  duty.  The  army  thus  assembled 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  243 

consisted  of  the  following  organizations:  The  Sixth 
Minnesota  under  Col.  William  Crooks;  nine  companies 
of  the  Seventh  Minnesota  under  Lieutenant  Colonel  Will- 
iam R.  Marshall;  eight  companies  of  the  Tenth  Minne- 
sota under  Col.  James  H.  Baker ;  one  company  of  Pio- 
neers under  Capt.  Jonathan  Chase ;  nine  companies  of  the 
First  Minnesota  Cavalry,  or  Mounted  Rangers,  under 
Col.  Samuel  McPhail ;  eight  pieces  of  artillery  with  one 
hundred  and  forty-eight  men  under  Capt.  John  Jones; 
seventy-five  Indian  scouts  under  Maj.  Joseph  R.  Brown, 
George  McLeoud  and  Major  Dooley,  in  all  4,075  men. 
There  was  a  train  of  225  six-mule  teams,  as  there  was 
no  point  in  the  wild  country  to  be  penetrated  during  the 
all-summer  campaign  at  which  supplies  could  be  re- 
plenished. 

Camp  Pope— Personnel  of  the  Army. 

Of  this  expedition  Gen.  H.  H.  Sibley  was  placed  in 
command,  with  the  following  staff:  Assistant  Adjutant 
General,  R.  C.  Olin;  Brigade  Commissary,  William  H. 
Forbes;  Assistant  Commissary  and  Ordnance  Officer, 
Atchison;  Commissary  Clerk,  Spencer;  Quartermaster, 
Corning;  Assistant  Quartermaster,  Kimball;  Aides-de- 
Camp,  Lieutenants  Pope,  F.  J.  H.  Beever,  A.  St.  Claire, 
Flandrau  and  Hawthorn;  Chaplain,  Rev.  S.  R.  Riggs. 

The  campaign  to  be  entered  upon  would  unavoidably 
be  an  arduous  one,  and  men  were  selected  very  largely 
for  their  general  fitness  for  the  duties  to  be  performed 
and  the  hardships  to  be  encountered.  Many  of  the 
men  had  for  months  done  duty  along  the  border  that 
constantly  brought  under  their  observation  the  blackened 
ruins  of  homes  destroyed  the  previous  autumn,  as  a  part 
of  the  work  of  the  massacre,  and  were  anxious  to  pene- 
trate the  enemy's  country  beyond  these  grim  reminders 
of  crimes  and  wickedness  never  to  be  atoned  for.  The 
ruined  and  abandoned  fields  of  the  settlers,  the  bloated, 
blackened  and  mutilated  corpses  of  men,  women  and 
children,  the  deserted  farms  along  a  frontier  of  two 
or  three  hundred  miles  in  length,  with  their  crops  rotting 


244  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

where  they  had  grown,  were  scenes  that  clung  to  the 
minds  of  all  who  had  witnessed  them  the  previous  fall, 
like  a  repulsive  nightmare. 

Camp  Pope  was  in  the  heart  of  the  country  occupiecf 
by  those  who  had  blighted  with  gun  and  torch  as  fair 
a  land  as  the  sun  had  ever  kissed.  Charred  ruins  were 
visible  from  its  site,  awful  tragedies  had  been  enacted 
within  hearing  of  the  spot,  their  agonies  still  echoing 
from  fresh  graves.  There  was,  in  fact,  something 
sepulchral  about  this  whole  valley  region,  and  the  men 
longed  for  new  fields  of  operation. 

June    16,    1863,   A   Memorable   Day— How   Small 
Pox  Restored  Quiet 

On  the  morning  of  June  16,  1863,  the  "Sibley  Expedi- 
tion," as  it  was  widely  known,  started  on  its  long  mis- 
sion. On  the  previous  night,  after  the  heat  of  the  day 
had  .subsided,  a  detachment  of  infantry  moved  out  on 
the  highlands  to  the  westward  to  take  the  advance  the 
following  morning.  The  night  of  the  15th  was  ideal. 
The  gentle  zephyrs  were  laden  with  the  incense  of  wild 
flowers.  Overhead  the  sky  was  serene  and  star-bedecked. 
The  earth,  warmed  into  new  life,  had  sent  into  banish- 
ment many  of  the  perplexities  incident  to  military  life 
in  the  open.  The  day  had  been  warm,  and  along  the 
southwestern  horizon  lightning  flashes  danced  fitfully  in 
a  distant  embankment  of  clouds,  whose  outlines  were 
distinctly  revealed  by  the  quivering,  shimmering  electrical 
gymnastics,  reflected  by  the  glistening  armor  of  the  in- 
fantry detachment  that  filed  up  the  western  slopes  of  the 
valley  in  the  dusk  of  evening  to  assume  its  place  for 
the  morrow.  Those  who  witnessed  the  beautiful  spec- 
tacle have  probably  never  forgotten  it.  Under  benign 
conditions  the  camp  was  unusually  merry  on  the  night 
of  the  15th,  only,  however,  to  receive  a  shock  that  pro- 
duced a  profound  sensation.  The  surgeons  had  discov- 
ered a  well  defined  case  of  smallpox,  and  the  news  of  the 
discovery  swept  over  the  vast  camp  like  wildfire.  Men 
had  expected  to  be  shot  at — had  enlisted,  in  fact,  with  the 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  245 

full  understanding  that  they  would  be  called  upon  to 
pose  as  targets  for  an  unscrupulous  and  careless  enemy, 
but  both  the  parties  of  the  first  and  second  parts  had 
utterly  forgotten  to  mention  smallpox  in  the  original 
contract,  and  the  omission  led  to  serious  reflection  and 
eloquent  silence.  Fortunately  the  disease  did  not  spread. 

General  Sibley's  Habits  of  Early  Rising— Our  First 
Day's  March— The  Mules  and  the  Blues. 

Gen.  Sibley  was  a  man  of  pronounced  habits,  and  not 
the  least  among  these  habits  was  that  of  early  rising. 
The  rose  tints  of  early  dawn  were  never  an  unfamiliar 
sight  to  his  men.  The  blare  of  trumpets  woke  the  echoes 
of  the  Minnesota  valley  at  3  o'clock  on  that  beautiful 
morning  of  June  16,  1863.  At  4  o'clock  one  of  the 
grandest  military  pageants  ever  witnessed  in  Minnesota, 
before  or  since,  filed  out  with  the  precision  of  clock- 
work, and  wending  its  way  for  a  time  among  the  mam- 
moth granite  boulders  of  the  valley,  gradually  ascended 
the  hills  to  the  westward.  The  head  of  the  column  had 
reached  a  distance  of  nearly  six  miles  on  its  journey  ere 
the  rear  guard  could  move.  Four  thousand  men  do  not 
constitute  a  very  large  army,  but  here  were  all  the  trap- 
pings and  equipments  of  war,  and  not  caparisoned  for 
review,  for  there  was  not  a  soul  in  the  desolate  valley  to 
witness  the  spectacle  except  the  soldiers  themselves.  The 
artillery,  ambulances  and  wagon  train  covered  a  distance 
of  nearly  four  miles.  A  part  of  the  column,  and  one 
the  soldiers  regarded  with  jealous  interest,  was  George  A. 
Brackett's  large  herd  of  beef  cattle,  taken  along  under 
contract  to  supply  the  army  during  the  months  it  should 
campaign  in  the  northwestern  wilds. 

We  had  now  entered  upon  one  of  the  most  interesting 
phases  of  human  experience.  Savage  hordes  had  made 
their  last  supreme  effort  to  stay  the  advance  of  civiliza- 
tion. Minnesota  was  but  partially  peopled,  and  Dakota 
Territory  (now  North  and  South  Dakota)  was  utterly  un- 
inhabited by  the  white  race,  save  a  settlement  at  Yank- 
ton;  and  one  might  journey,  as  our  command  did  in  1863, 


246  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

for  weeks  and  even  months  in  the  vast  territory  now 
covered  with  flourishing  cities  and  thousands  of  rural 
houses  without,  beyond  our  own  numbers,  once  seeing 
the  face  of  a  white  man. 

A  hot  June  day  tested  the  mettle  of  the  infantry  the 
first  day  out,  and  jaded  the  animals  not  a  little.  The 
.weather  was  dry  and  the  process  of  evaporation  active, 
and  as  a  result  the  column  was  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of 
dust,  with  no  favoring  wind  to  bear  it  away.  While  the 
long  summer's  campaign  was  one  of  unremitting  hard- 
ships, this  was  perhaps  the  most  trying  day  the  expedi- 
tion as  a  whole  experienced  during  the  season,  and  man 
and  beast  welcomed  the  opportunity  to  go  into  camp  in 
the  late  afternoon,  where  a  bountiful  supply  of  excellent 
water  and  an  abundance  of  good  forage  for  the  animals 
were  found.  A  great  white  city  sprang  up  on  a  beautiful 
plain  ere  the  purple  had  succeeded,  the  gold  in  the  west, 
the  vast  camp  covering  more  than  a  square  mile  in  ex- 
tent. 

Many  grim  ruins,  the  scenes  of  blasted  hopes,  cruelty 
and  death,  were  witnessed  during  the  day's  march.  Out- 
side of  the  expedition  itself  not  a  sign  of  life  was  visible. 
The  hardy  pioneers  east  of  the  Minnesota  had  perished 
during  the  massacre,  while  on  the  Reservation  side  the 
picture  of  desolation  could  not  have  been  more  complete 
had  the  whole  region  been  transformed  into  a  desert. 
Where  a  building  had  graced  the  wild  wastes  on  the 
reservation,  a  deserted,  blackened  ruin,  mute  and  for- 
bidding, remained  to  tell  of  the  hatred  that  had  attached 
to  every  mark  of  civilization.  The  whites  had  everywhere 
been  slain,  and  the  murderers  had  gone,  leaving  desola- 
tion in  their  wake.  Many  men  in  the  command  had  lost 
friends  and  relatives  during  the  massacre,  and  they  con- 
templated the  prevalent  signs  morosely. 

But  the  spell  was  broken  at  supper  time,  for  then 
it  was  that  several  hundred  mules,  scattered  throughout 
the  vast  camp,  apparently  discovered  for  the  first  time 
their  strange  environment,  and  the  tale  of  the  discovery 
was  wafted  back  and  forth  until  even  the  grave  Gen.  Sib- 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  247 

ley  for  an  instant  lost  his  grip  on  a  facial  composure  al- 
ways suited  to  the  sanctuary  on  solemn  occasions.  The 
incident  was  not  without  its  value,  for  it  cut  off  all  re- 
treat to  moodiness. 

Camp  on  the  Battlefield  of  Wood  Lake. 

Five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  17th  found  the 
head  of  the  column  in  motion,  although  the  rear  guard 
did  not  move  for  three  hours  later.  Nature  was  at  its 
best.  The  fresh  green  that  carpeted  hill  and  dale  had 
reached  the  prime  of  luxuriance.  The  bending  blades  of 
grass  sparkled  with  their  jewels  of  dew,  while  every- 
where were  new-born  roses  that,  but  for  ourselves,  were 
"born  to  blush  unseen."  A  short  march  of  eleven  miles 
sufficed  for  the  day,  Gen.  Sibley  selecting  the  Wood  Lake 
battle  ground  as  the  location  of  our  camp.  It  took  little 
stretch  of  the  imagination  to  repeople  with  savages  and 
soldiers  the  plains  about,  and  Col.  Marshall  of  the  Sev- 
enth Minnesota  pointed  out  the  place  of  the  charge  and 
graphically  described  the  action  itself,  which  won  the 
day  at  Wood  Lake  on  the  23rd  of  the  previous  Septem- 
ber, and  where  he  received  his  baptism  of  fire  as  a  soldier. 

The  Desolate  Yellow  Medicine  Agency—Camp   at 
Hazelwood. 

On  the  morning  of  the  18th,  after  an  hour's  march, 
we  reached  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency,  dismal  and  for- 
lorn. The  buildings  that  had  been  spared  were  aban- 
doned to  the  elements.  The  windows  had  been  smashed 
and  the  doors  burst  open,  while  unsightly  weeds  grew 
where  active  feet  had  borne  proud  and  ambitious  souls 
in  better  days.  Nothing  could  disturb  the  reverie  of  the 
men  who  rode  or  walked  over  this  historic  spot  that 
beautiful  June  morning,  for  here  were  the  final  seeds 
sown  the  previous  year  out  of  which  grew  the  discontent 
that  ripened  into  the  massacre.  Here  it  was  the  six 
thousand  Sioux  were  assembled  in  July,  1862,  and  kept 
in  waiting  for  weeks  for  their  annuities,  until  starvation 
invaded  their  lodges.  The  march  was  short  again  today, 


248  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION, 

the  expedition  going  into  camp  at  "Hazlewood,"  the 
home  and  mission  of  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Williamson,  five 
miles  northwest  of  the  Yellow  Medicine  Agency.  Here 
the  general  remained  in  camp  during  the  19th.  To  those 
with  an  inquiring  turn  of  mind  this  was  a  spot  absorb- 
ingly interesting.  Dr.  Williamson  had  come  into  the 
wilds  of  Minnesota  before  the  majority  of  the  men  on 
this  expedition  were  born — had  come  years  before  the 
founding  even  of  a  territorial  form  government,  and  out 
of  his  faithful  labors  had  come,  for  an  hour  of  calamity, 
such  characters  as  Other  Day,  Chaska,  Paul,  etc.  The 
mission  buildings  were  wrecked  and  desolate.  Doors 
had  broken  from  their  hinges  in  the  wind,  windows  had 
succumbed  to  gun  and  arrow  practice,  the  premises  were 
grown  up  to  weeds,  the  garden  fences  were  broken  down, 
and  general  dilapidation  ruled  where  order  had  reigned. 
This  had  been  a  social  and  spiritual  oasis  in  a  desert  of 
savage  life,  but  alas  for  the  decrees  of  Fate,  it  had  gone 
the  ways  of  Tadmor,  stricken  to  earth  by  those  who 
owed  it  most.  Rev.  Dr.  Williamson  and  his  co-worker, 
Rev.  Dr.  S.  R.  Riggs,  together  with  their  families  and 
friends,  escaped  with  their  lives  by  what  seemed  little 
less  than  a  miracle. 

Camp  Release — A   Cold  June  Day. 

An  early  hour  of  June  20th  found  the  expedition  in 
motion,  still  traversing  historic  ground,  passing  Camp 
Release  among  other  points  of  interest.  We  indulged  in 
an  uncomfortable  experience  today.  The  sky  was  ob- 
scured by  cold,  leaden  clouds,  with  a  cold  north  wind 
blowing  stiffly.  The  men,  and  particularly  the  cavalry 
and  artillery,  suffered  from  _the  benumbing  cold,  and  all 
gladly  sought  the  shelter  of  tents  or  the  comforts  of 
sheltered  camp-fires  after  a  march  of  fourteen  miles. 
Fuel  and  water  were  plentiful  here,  and  we  remained 
in  camp  over  the  21st,  during  which  time  the  scouts 
thoroughly  reconnoitred  the  surrounding  country  to  make 
sure  there  were  no  Indians  in  these  their  old-time  haunts 
to  drop  back  after  our  passage  to  disturb  the  settlements 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  249 

to  the  southward. 

The   Beautiful  Lac  qui  Parle. 

The  22nd  we  crossed  the  Lacqui  Parle  River,  a  stream 
that,  from  time  immemorial,  had  been  almost  sacred  to 
the  hearts  of  the  red  race.  Its  brilliant  waters  and  its 
stretches  of  woodland  appealed  tauntingly  to  Gen.  Sibley 
to  raise  his  portable  city  here,  but  the  distance,  after 
the  previous  day's  rest,  was  not  sufficiently  great,  and 
we  pushed  on  to  the  "Big  Mound"  (now  "Big  Tom"), 
at  which  we  camped  for  the  day.  This  is  a  beautiful 
spot  and  is  distinguished  from  all  others  in  the  region  for 
its  widely-seen  promontory 

A  Beautiful  Country— Big  Stone  Lake. 

The  24th  we  traversed  a  beautiful  country,  camping 
in  the  evening  on  the  highlands  west  of  Big  Stone  Lake. 
We  found  a  scarcity  of  good  water  on  today's  march,  but 
the  country  was  charmingly  attractive.  Our  camp-ground 
this  eve  (Camp  Marshall,  in  honor  of  Lieut.  Col.  William 
R.  Marshall)  is  one  which  Little  Crow's  hosts  had  occu- 
pied the  previous  fall,  a  fact  discovered  by  the  finding 
of  many  pits  in  which  the  Indians  had  cached  their  cum- 
bersome plunder  from  the  settlements  that  had  been 
raided  during  the  massacre.  In  these  we  found  great 
quantities  of  dishes,  tinware,  harness,  chains,  straps,  pails 
and  an  occasional  piece  of  furniture,  and  not  a  little  corn, 
the  latter  being  well  preserved  and  useful.  Teamsters 
found  numerous  "prizes"  among  the  hidden  harnesses, 
many  of  which  were  of  excellent  quality.  The  dishes 
were  badly  broken,  due  to  lack  of  knowledge  in  their 
packing  and  handling,  yet  they  seemed  valuable  in  the 
estimation  of  the  savages. 

Celebrating  a  Birthday— First  Buffalo  Hunt. 

We  were  in  the  saddle  at  4  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
June  25th.  The  weather  was  propitious,  buffalo  were 
sighted  off  to  the  westward  towards  the  coteau,  and 
there  was  a  troublesome  spirit  of  adventure  constantly 


250  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

preaching  treason  to  discipline.  Our  battalion  was  on  the 
flank.  I  communicated  to  a  good-hearted  and  companion- 
able officer  riding  near  me  that  this  was  my  nineteenth 
birthday,  and  that  I  would  like  to  celebrate  it  on  a  buffalo 
hunt.  I  was  agreeably  surprised  when  he  arranged  that 
three  of  us  should  drop  out,  one  at  a  time  at  intervals, 
and  join  each  other  when  half  a  mile  or  so  from  the 
command  and  ride  out  at  least  in  plain  view  of  the  first 
herd  of  buffalo  we  had  discovered,  several  miles  away. 
Following  a  ravine  leading  in  the  proper  direction,  we 
galloped  away  until  sufficiently  distant  from  the  expedi- 
tion, when  we  rode  out  on  the  highlands  to  get  our  bear- 
ings. We  could  plainly  discover  three  horsemen  nearer 
the  herd  than  ourselves,  and  quickened  our  pace,  cautious 
lest  we  fall  into  the  hands  of  an  enemy,  however.  The 
other  trio  proved  to  consist  of  cavalrymen  on  nearer  ap- 
proach, and  separating  a  huge  bull  from  the  herd  we 
secured  jointly,  after  many  shots  and  much  wild  excite- 
ment, meeting  every  adventurous  requirement,  a  prize 
worthy  of  all  effort.  The  three  cavalrymen  fortunately 
proved  to  be  members  of  our  own  company,  who  had 
fallen  victims  to  the  infection  that  tempted  men  on  the 
left  flank  that  day.  We  filled  our  haversacks  with  choice 
cuts  from  the  loins  of  the  noble  beast  and  hastened  to 
join  the  command,  now  many  miles  away,  but  the  loca- 
tion of  which  we  could  fix  to  a  certainty  by  the  great 
white  cloud  of  dust  that  rose  from  and  hung  over  the 
command  like  the  token  that  guided  the  children  of 
Israel.  We  had  ridden  but  a  few  miles  when  the  cloud 
ceased  to  exist — notice  that  camp  had  been  established. 
We  must  now  ride  to  the  trail  and  follow  it  in.  For- 
tunately one  of  the  officers  of  our  party  possessed  the 
countersign,  and  we  were  thus  enabled  to  pass  the  lines 
on  arriving  at  camp.  Every  man  in  our  company  had  a 
ration  of  buffalo  steak  that  evening,  with  enough  on  hanct 
with  which  to  cautiously  bribe  any  powerful  superior 
whose  influence  might  be  desired  in  case  of  trouble. 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  251 

Finding  of  Human  Skeletons. 

This  camp  was  near  an  old  trading  post.  Here  were 
found  the  bleaching  skeletons  of  six  men  who  had  been 
killed  by  the  Indians  the  previous  year.  Gen.  Sibley 
caused  the  skeletons  to  be  collected  and  buried.  Nothing 
whatever  could  be  found  whereby  the  identity  of  these 
men  could  be  determined.  It  is  known,  however,  that  of 
the  few  men  at  this  place  Henry  Manderfeldt,  George 
Loth,  John  Schmerch  and  two  Frenchmen  were  killed 
here  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  August  21st,  1862. 
This  was  at  or  near  the  Myrick  store.  An  Indian  came 
and  warned  the  men  very  early  in  the  morning  of  their 
danger,  and  told  them  to  fly  for  their  lives,  but  they  had 
heard  nothing  of  the  massacre  below  and  paid  little  re- 
gard to  what  the  Indian  had  counselled  them  to  do. 
Only  a  brief  space  of  time  elapsed  when  a  party  of  In- 
dians were  on  the  trading  post  in  force.  They  opened 
on  the  helpless  men  and  only  two  succeeded  in  escaping 
by  plunging  into  the  timber  near  at  hand.  One  of  these, 
Hilliar  Manderfeldt,  was  pursued  a  short  distance  and 
killed,  while  the  other,  Anton  Manderfeldt,  made  his 
way  to  the  settlements  after  twelve  days  of  almost  un- 
paralleled hardships. 

This  was  Camp  Jennison,  named  in  honor  of  Lieut. 
Col.  S.  P.  Jennison  of  the  Tenth  Minnesota.  On  scaffolds 
supported  by  four  crotches  were  many  Indian  dead  found 
here,  the  Sioux  method  of  "burial."  These  scaffolds  were 
eight  to  ten  feet  high,  the  whole  structure  made  of  poles, 
and  on  top  of  each,  wrapped  in  a  blanket,  lay  a  dead  In- 
dian, awaiting  his  or  her  turn  to  disappear  into  and 
become  a  part  of  the  elements.  Not  infrequently  tfie 
boughs  of  trees  were  used  to  support  the  dead,  and  par- 
ticularly the  bodies  of  children,  along  the  border  of  the 
lake.  Big  Stone  Lake  .proved  to  be  an  attraction  worthy 
of  the  compliments  on  every  hand  bestowed  upon  it, 
stretching  away  for  a  distance,  from  end  to  end,  of  thirty- 
six  miles. 


252  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

Camp  Between  Lakes  Big  Stone  and  Traverse. 

Breaking  camp  at  4  on  the  morning  of  the  26th, 
amid  the  usual  blare  of  bugles,  we  were  soon  in  motion 
on  our  journey  northward.  We  were  now  entering  a 
region  that  had  suffered  from  prolonged  drought.  The 
earth  was  hot  and  parched,  water  scarce  on  the  march, 
grass  short  and  dry  and  the  dust  well  nigh  suffocating. 
In  the  early  afternoon  we  camped  between  Lakes  Big 
Stone  and  Traverse,  on  the  site  of  the  B'rowns  Valley  of 
today.  This  became  Camp  McLaren,  after  Major  Robert 
N.  McLaren  of  the  Sixth  Minnesota.  This  beautiful 
spot  was  lavishily  endowed  with  gifts  suited  to  the  com- 
forts of  an  army.  Despite  the  drought  that  had  parched 
the  highlands,  the  growth  of  red-top  between  the  lakes 
was  luxuriant,  while  there  was  an  abundance  of  good 
water  everywhere.  There  was,  to  all,  something  unique 
about  this  camp.  We  were  between  two  lakes,  the  waters 
of  which  flow-  in  exactly  opposite  directions — those  of 
Lake  Traverse  into  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  and 
thence  on  into  Hudson  Bay,  while  those  of  Big  Stone  flow 
into  the  Minnesota  on  their  way  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Traverse  in  that  day  was  fed  by  numerous  great  springs 
in  the  lake  bed,  as  was  readily  discovered  by  the  men 
who  bathed  and  swam  in  its  waters.  We  remained  in 
this  camp  the  27th,  28th  and  29th,  during  which  time  the 
cavalry  thoroughly  scouted  the  surrounding  country.  In- 
dians had  occupied  the  region  during  the  winter  and 
early  spring,  but  had  pushed  off  towards  Devils  Lake. 

Adieu  With  Regrets  to   Camp  McLaren — Buffalo 
"Chips"  for  Fuel. 

Regretfully  did  we  turn  our  backs  on  Camp  McLaren 
on  the  morning  of  June  30th  and  set  out  northwesterly 
on  our  journey,  the  Indian  guides  leading  the  way  into 
an  unknown  country.  We  now  entered  upon  a  bound- 
less, treeless  plain.  The  earth  was  dry  and  compact, 
great  cracks  an  inch  or  two  in  width  and  a  foot  or  more 
in  depth  scarring  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  running 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  253 

uninterruptedly  for  rods.  About  the  scattering  shallow 
lakes  there  was  a  fairly  good  growth  of  coarse  grass,  but 
on  the  higher  ground  the  grass  was  short  and  lifeless 
though  "cured,"  so  as  to  be  relishable  to  the  animals. 
Grasshoppers  were  numerous,  and  in  some  places  during 
the  marches  of  the  summer  had  well  nigh  robbed  our 
animals  of  their  needed  forage.  Finding  good  grazing, 
conditions  considered,  the  expedition  went  into  camp  after 
a  march  of  sixteen  miles.  Here  for  the  first  time  we 
became  wholly  dependent  for  fuel  on  "buffalo  chips/'  the 
excrement  of  the  "cattle  of  the  plains"  that  in  that  day 
roamed  the  prairies  in  countless  thousands.  Without 
these  chips  no  expedition  could  have  been  maintained  on 
the  plains  of  Dakota.  This  fuel,  in  the  form  of  thin 
discs,  eight  to  ten  inches  in  diameter,  and  scattered  over 
the  parched  earth,  was  as  dry  and  combustible  as  tinder. 
When  it  is  stated  that  on  a  single  camping  ground  enough 
buffalo  chips  could  be  gathered  to  cook  the  food  of  four 
thousand  men  for  three  meals  or  more,  some  idea  may 
be  had  of  the  innumerable  animals  that  made  up  the 
herds  of  buffalo  that  possessed  the  country  in  that  day. 
The  infantrymen  used  their  bayonets  and  the  cavalrymen 
their  sabres  in  gathering  this  indispensable  fuel,  which 
served  the  expedition  exclusively  for  months. 

No  camp  was  now  established  that  was  not  thoroughly 
fortified  with  breastworks  made  of  prairie  sod.  Hence- 
forth every  camp  was  thus  protected,  the  first  duty  after 
terminating  a  day's  march  being  the  selection  of  details 
for  work  on  the  trenches  and  breastworks,  the  latter  of 
which  were  about  two  feet  high.  Gen.  Sibley  never 
worried  about  what  the  enemy  might  do,  but  rather  pre- 
pared himself  well  beforehand,  and  let  the  enemy  do  the 
worrying. 

July  1st  we  marched  eighteen  miles,  the  2nd  sixteen, 
the  3rd  sixteen  and  the  4th  eighteen  miles,  going  into 
camp  at  1  o'clock  P.  M.  after  a  march  of  nine  hours 
under  trying-  conditions,  in  the  big  bend  of  the  Cheyenne 
River,  on  the  south  side  of  that  stream,  a  few  miles 
southeast  of  what  of  this  day  is  the  flourishing  town  of 


254  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

Lisbon,  North  Dakota.  Gen.  Sibley  here  established 
Camp  Hayes,  so  named  after  Major  Orrin  T.  Hayes  of 
the  cavalry. 

July  Fourth  on  the  Cheyenne  River. 

This  was  indeed  a  strange  Fourth  of  July.  No  man 
in  the  command  had  ever  before  seen  one  like  it.  No 
mark  of  civilization  had  ever  been  raised  in  this  country. 
No  surveys  had  been  made.  No  white  men  had  disturbed 
the  solitude  into  which  we  had  entered.  Herds  of  buffalo 
were  visible  in  almost  any  direction.  Aside  from  these 
nothing  was  seen  but  arched  skies  and  boundless  plains. 
And  the  "best  girl"  and  red  lemonade,  the  "prominent 
citizens  in  carriages  and  on  foot,"  the  brass  band,  the 
shady  grove,  the  "car  of  liberty,"  the  orator,  the  reader 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence — how  painfully  ab- 
sent, and  how  eloquently  silent !  The  best  girl  was  prob- 
ably the  most  missed  of  all,  for  during  all  the  months  of 
that  campaign  no  member  of  the  expedition  ever  saw  the 
face  of  a  white  woman,  nor  could  a  letter  or  any  other 
sort  of  message  reach  us. 

Late  in  the  day  in  celebration  of  the  occasion  McCole 
and  myself  visited  the  camp  of  the  Indian  scouts,  and 
learned  many  things  regarding  the  massacre  of  the  previ- 
ous year  from  the  Indian  point  of  view.  The  Indian 
narrator,  once  he  bends  to  his  work  unrestrained  by  sur- 
roundings, is  intensely  interesting.  My  comrade  and 
interpreter  was  intimately  acquainted  with  many  of  the 
scouts,  and  knew  the  art  of  obtaining  a  voluble  flow 
from  the  fountains  usually  concealed  beneath  a  look  of 
stoicism.  A  story  once  launched,  its  trend  may  easily  be 
followed  by  carefully  regarding  the  smiles,  frowns,  the 
intensity  of  gesture  and  the  modulations  of  tone  of  the 
narrator,  for  an  intelligent  Indian  is  not  an  artful,  but 
a  natural  raconteur.  Some  of  the  more  interesting  in- 
formation obtained  at  this  interview  is  made  use  of  in 
an  earlier  part  of  this  book.  One  of  the  narratives,  full 
of  animation,  fiery  flashes  of  the  eye  and  graceful  move- 
ments of  the  hand,  accompanied  with  intensity  of  expres- 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  255 

sion,  related  to  a  battle  fought  on  the  ground  partially 
occupied  by  our  camp.  We  were  principally  in  the  val- 
ley, while  the  engagement  was  largely  fought  on  the 
table-land  in  the  southeastern  part  of  our  camping  ground. 

Story  of  an  Ancient  Battle— The  Indian  As  a 
Raconteur. 

The  story  was  that  while  a  large  band  of  Cheyennes  were 
camped  on  the  spot  where  our  tents  were  pitched,  a  war- 
party  of  Pottawattomie  hunters  who  had  invaded  the 
country  attacked  the  Cheyennes.  The  battle  was  graphic- 
ally portrayed  from  beginning  to  end.  The  Pottawat- 
tomies  came  down  on  the  Cheyennes  like  the  wind,  taking 
the  camp  by  surprise  and  producing  a  reign  of  consterna- 
tion and  terror;  but  the  Cheyennes  flew  to  arms  and 
checked  the  bloody  work  of  their  enemy.  The  Pottawat- 
tomies  were  driven  to  the  table-land,  and  the  party  there 
practically  exterminated  in  a  fierce  battle  that  lasted  a 
whole  afternoon.  Asked  how  long  since  this  battle  was 
fought,  Chaska  counted  back  twenty-one  years,  which 
would  make  the  year  of  the  engagement  1842. 

We  remained  in  this  camp  from  the  4th  until  the  llth 
day  of  July,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  a  detachment  from 
Fort  Abercrombie.  The  entire  surrounding  country  was 
explored  by  the  scouts  and  the  cavalry,  under  various 
officers  detailed  for  the  purpose,  and  during  these  ex- 
plorations many  a  choice  buffalo  and  antelope  steak  found 
its  way  into  camp,  although  hunting  was  among  the 
things  tabooed,  theoretically,  as  dangerous  both  to  hunt- 
ers and  military  discipline. 

Gymnastic  Weather— Heat,  Cold  and  Chill. 

On  the  9th  a  hot  wind  swept  up  from  the  south  and 
the  earth  being  hot  and  dry  the  conditions  were  almost 
suffocating.  Tents  were  like  ovens,  and  as  there  was  no 
other  shelter  and  as  the  midsummer  sun  was  torrid  all 
suffered  in  the  extreme.  The  following  day  the  wind 
shifted  to  the  northeast  and  brought  down  a  volume  of 
smoke  from  burning  pine  forests  many  leagues  away  in 


256  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

northern  Minnesota,  no  doubt,  that  was  almost  insuffer- 
able. Tents  were  invisible  at  a  distance  of  fifty  yards. 
Then  the  weather  had  still  another  stunt  in  store  for  us, 
for  on  the  morning  of  July  llth  the  wind  was  squarely 
from  the  north  and  uncomfortably  cold.  The  smoke  was 
less  dense  than  on  the  10th,  but  the  cold  was  penetrating 
and  drove  all  but  the  infantry  into  overcoats,  for  we  took 
up  the  line  of  march  again  this  morning,  much  to  the 
gratification  of  all,  since  forage  and  fuel  were  becoming 
scarce  at  Camp  Hayes,  with  no  compensating  attractions. 
Reveille  was  sounded  at  2  o'clock  this  morning  and  the 
command  was  in  motion  at  3.  At  the  end  of  eighteen 
miles  Gen.  Sibley  established  Camp  Wharton,  where  we 
remained  during  the  12th. 

At  3  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  July  13th  the  expedition 
was  again  in  motion,  traversing  a  beautiful  country  and 
establishing  camp  after  a  march  of  twenty  miles. 

Beautiful  Country — Taunt  of  the  Mirage — The 
Balm  of  Air-Castles. 

One  of  the  attractions  of  the  day  has  been  the  ever- 
recurring,  ever-vanishing  mirage,  which  has  lured  us  on, 
day  after  day,  with  its  beautiful  setting  just  a  few  miles 
farther  ahead — a  beautiful  apparition  that  justifies  the 
assertion  that  there  is  something  commendable  in  air 
castles.  Day  after  day  on  the  treeless  plains,  when  the 
vertical  rays  of  a  summer  sun  revived  memories  of  cooling 
shades  and  refreshing  waters,  the  mirage  would  assert 
itself  on  the  horizon  and  grow  from  a  tiny  first  view  to  a 
vast  landscape.  Were  we  deluded  by  this  apparition  yes- 
terday ?  Yes ;  but  the  one  now  before  us  is  so  realistic 
that  we  know  those  beautiful  groves  and  that  vast,  placid 
lake  are  real,  and  that  we  shall  camp  tonight  amid  scenes 
such  as  we  have  dreamed  of  since  the  days  of  home  life 
and  civilization.  But  like  the  end  of  the  rainbow,  the 
taunting  landscape  was  not  real,  or  it  would  fade  away 
gradually,  hour  by  hour,  leaving  the  impression,  despite 
the  pranks  of  past  delusions,  that  we  had  descended  into 
a  depressed  area,  and  that  presently  we  would  mount 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  257 

the  opposite  rim  to  find  ourselves  in  full  view  of  an  ideal 
camping  ground.  But  today's  lakes  and  groves  were 
no  more  real  than  were  yesterday's.  A  day  would  then 
pass  with  no  taunting  apparition — just  the  dull  monotony 
of  boundless  plain  and  bending  sky.  Then  gradually 
would  come  into  view  again  visions  of  woodland  and 
waters  that  kept  men,  wearied  and  worn  with  travel  and 
hardships,  in  almost  childish  good  humor,  so  true  to 
nature  would  this  beautiful  picture  rear  itself  within  easy 
range  of  our  vision.  Even  the  wary,  who  had  been  so 
often  deluded,  feeling  there  must  be,  somewhere,  grove- 
girt  lakes,  were  caught  time  and  again  with  the  convic- 
tion that  at  last  we  beheld  the  real  thing — wood-girt 
waters.  The  mirage  will  ever  remain  vigorous  in  the 
memory  of  the  men  who  gazed  upon  and  discussed  it  day 
after  day,  for  it  was  always  profuse  in  its  promises,  and 
not  infrequently  was  the  basis  of  a  wager,  involving  a 
month's  pay,  and  no  less  frequently  it  happened,  on  ac- 
count of  some  rare  new  feature,  more  promising  than 
ever,  that  the  most  skeptical  were  the  loosers.  Today  we 
witnessed  the  most  unusual  and  remarkable  of  all  mirage 
freaks.  Whatever  else  the  mirage  spreads  before  its  on- 
lookers on  the  plains,  the  grove  and  lake  feature  is  never 
wanting.  In  this  instance,  beyond  the  lake,  which  itself 
was  apparently  distinct,  was  plainly  visible  a  moving 
animal  mass,  raised  quite  above  the  horizon  of  the  mirage. 
Apparently  the  mass  was  crossing  a  point  of  high  ground, 
with  the  figures  seemingly  inverted.  The  mass  came 
within  the  scope  of  vision  out  of  nothing  definable,  and 
disappeared  toward  the  westward  at  a  vanishing  point 
apparently  above  and  beyond  the  mirage  proper,  but  it 
was  a  part  of  the  phenomenon,  and  made,  for  its  variety 
and  its  mysterious  transition,  a  profound  impression  upon 
the  many  who  witnessed  it  and  speculated  upon  its  cause, 
which  was  most  generally  believed  to  be  traceable  to  the 
fact  that  a  herd  of  buffalo  were  crossing  a  point  of  land 
embraced  within  the  zone  of  the  mirage.  And  so  I  repeat, 
air  castles  are  not  without  benefits  sufficient  to  justify 
their  existence.  These,  at  least,  while  they  made  promises 


258  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

they  never  redeemed,  made  many  a  man  forget  his  pains 
for  a  day. 

The  weather  has  become  normal  again,  and  we  enter 
camp  at  midday,  located  between  three  small  lakes,  all  of 
which  afford  excellent  water,  much  to  the  enjoyment  of 
man  and  beast,  as  poor  water  is  the  rule,  all  being  im- 
pregnated with  alkali.  We  saw  numerous  herds  of  buf- 
falo today,  and,  as  an  every-day  occurrence,  many  bands 
of  antelope. 

In  the   Saddle  at  2  in  the  Morning — Tolac  Lake — 
Beautiful  Camp  Ground. 

"July  14th.  Pretty  early  in  the  morning,  but  the  bugles 
ring  out  brilliantly  at  2  o'clock,  the  disturbance  starting 
at  Gen.  Sibley's  headquarters.  The  aim  of  the  com- 
mander is  to  be  well  on  our  journey  before  the  heat  of 
a  midsummer  day  becomes  oppressive,  and  then  to  enter 
camp  about  midday.  We  make  eighteen  miles  today  and 
establish  Camp  Weiser,  in  honor  of  Dr.  Weiser,  surgeon 
of  the  Mounted  Rangers." 

July  15th  we  made  seventeen  miles,  camping  on  a 
beautiful  lake  in  the  shape  of  a  horseshoe,  with  the  open- 
ing to  the  westward.  The  land  within  the  almost  com- 
plete circle  was  sufficiently  extensive  to  accommodate  the 
entire  command  by  compactly  forming  the  camp.  This 
lake  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  Cheyenne  River  and 
could  not  have  been  far  from  the  site  of  Valley  City. 
Tolac  was  the  name  by  which  the  lake  was  known  to 
the  expedition.  No  maps  to  be  found  show  its  existence, 
and  it  has  no  doubt  long  since  disappeared  as  a  result  of 
the  cultivation  of  the  country  in  which  it  was  located,  as 
its  waters  were  shallow,  though  apparently  permanent, 
for  the  season  of  our  visit  to  it  had  already  most  severely 
tested  its  endurance.  The  waters  of  Tolac  were  so  im- 
pregnated with  alkali  that  they  were  almost  unendurable 
to  man  or  beast,  despite  the  beauty  of  the  lake. 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  259 

Killing    an  Elk  Within  the  Lines — Founding   Camp 
Atchison. 

The  command  was  out  at  2  on  the  morning  of  the  16th, 
and  made  good  progress  over  the  pathless  plains,  the 
early  morning  being  delightfully  cool  and  refreshing.  At 
about  9  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  the  flankers  on  the  west, 
who  were  riding  along  the  banks  of  the  Cheyenne,  started 
an  elk  out  of  a  clump  of  brush.  The  frightened  beast 
turned  from  the  flankers,  who  were  near  it,  and  ran 
towards  the  main  column  of  the  expedition.  Half  a  dozen 
flankers  charged  in  pursuit.  When  the  animal  was  dis- 
covered, bearing  down  on  the  solid  lines  of  infantry,  dis- 
cipline was  severely  tested,  but  not  disgraced.  Lieutenant 
Ara  Barton  of  Co.  F,  Mounted  Rangers,  who  had  a  dis- 
tinguished part  in  later  years  as  the  sheriff  of  Rice  county 
in  capturing  most  of  the  James-Younger  bandits  who  es- 
caped from  Northfield,  executed  a  flank  movement  on  the 
charging  elk  and  with  a  well-directed  shot  brought  it  to 
earth. 

We  crossed  the  Cheyenne  River  today  about  fifteen 
miles  north  of  where  Valley  City  is  located,  going  into 
camp  after  a  march  of  eighteen  miles.  On  the  17th  we 
made  eighteen  miles ;  on  the  18th  seventeen  miles,  found- 
ing Camp  Atchison,  the  most  northerly  point  reached  by 
the  expedition  as  a  body.  From  this  point  scouting  parties 
were  sent  to  Devils  Lake  and  elsewhere  to  the  north- 
ward. From  7  to  11  o'clock  today  a  drenching  rain 
poured  down,  but  the  march  was  uninterrupted  and  the 
innovation  rather  enjoyed  in  fact,  for  it  was  most  wel- 
come, and  especially  as  the  sun  came  out  later  to  dry 
the  clothing  and  blankets  of  the  men. 

Cowardly  Deed  of  Lieut.  Field— Furor  in  Camp. 

Lieutenant  Albert  R.  Field  of  Co.  G,  Mounted  Rangers, 
created  a  sensation  in  the  newly-established  camp  by 
shooting  a  private  soldier.  The  act  was  cowardly  and 
malicious,  and  produced  a  furor  of  indignation  through- 
out the  command,  which  was  only  allayed  by  the  assur- 


260  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

ance  that  Field  should  be  dealt  with  promptly.  The  man 
was  not  seriously  wounded,  but  that  he  was  not  killed 
was  due  more  to  poor  markmanship  than  to  good  dis- 
position. 

Camp  Atchison  was  named  in  honor  of  Ordnance  Offi- 
cer Atchison  of  the  expedition,  as  was  also  the  beautiful 
little  lake  on  whose  shores  the  camp  was  established. 
The  location  of  this  camp  can  be  more  definitely  deter- 
mined on  the  map  of  today  than  any  other  (save  pos- 
sibly Camp  Hayes,  at  the  first  crossing  of  the  Cheyenne) 
east  of  the  James  River.  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont  had 
once  visited  this  region  on  a  tour  of  exploration  and 
had  named  a  beautiful  little  lake  in  honor  of  his  wife, 
Jessie,  and  Camp  Atchison  was  established  on  a  lake  two 
to  four  miles  southwest  of  Lake  Jessie.  This  would  make 
its  location  in  township  147,  range  60. 

General  Sibley's  Busy  Day— A  Dash  for  the 
Missouri. 

The  19the  of  July  was  Gen.  Sibley's  busy  day.  He  had 
resolved  to  make  Atchison  a  permanent  camp,  to  the  end 
that  a  vigorous  campaign  might  be  prosecuted  in  the 
direction  of  the  Missouri  River.  The  Indian  scouts  were 
satisfied  the  main  body  of.  Sioux  were  on  the  plains  west 
of  the  James.  These  scouts  had  extended  their  observa- 
tions well  into  the  Devils  Lake  country,  and  had  learned 
enough  through  their  keen  Indian  discernment  to  fore- 
cast the  movements  and  location  of  the  body  of  which 
Gen.  Sibley  was  in  search. 

The  General  called  the  commanders  of  his  subdivisions 
together  and  upon  their  information  selected  2,056  men 
for  a  forced  march  westerly,  the  expedition  to  consist 
of  1,436  infantry,  520  cavalry  and  100  artillery  and  pio- 
neers, with  a  sufficient  number  of  the  best  teams  to  carry 
necessary  ammunition  and  twenty-five  days'  rations. 
This  left  the  post  of  Camp  Atchison  with  about  an  equal 
number  of  men  and  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  cumber- 
some train  of  wagons.  All  disabled  men  and  animals 
were  left  in  camp,  which  was  fortified  with  breastworks 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  261 

and  made  thoroughly  defensible.  The  men  slated  to  re- 
main at  the  new  post  were  not  pleased  with  the  idea  of 
being  marooned  thus,  isolated  from  civilization  by  hun- 
dreds of  miles  of  distance,  in  a  treeless  country  entirely 
cut  off  from  communication  with  the  world.  Those 
selected  for  the  forced  march  were  to  enjoy  no  privileges 
not  accorded  their  comrades,  except  that  they  were  to  be 
favored  with  activity — a  life  always  preferred  by  soldiers. 

A  Visit  from  Chippewa  Buffalo  Hunters — Pointers 
They  Gave  Us — Reaching  the  James  River — 
Indian  Signs. 

Gen.  Sibley  had  littk  use  for  the  sluggard.  He  be- 
lieved every  man  should  so  time  his  habits  as  to  be  at 
his  best  for  any  duty  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning. 
He  placed  great  value  on  the  early  part  of  the  day  for 
any  mental  or  physical  duty  devolving  on  a  man.  There 
were  other  reasons  why,  on  this  expedition,  excessively 
early  rising  was  practiced,  but  they  were  simply  in  har- 
mony with  the  habits  of  this  sturdy  and  generally  beloved 
man;  so  there  was  no  surprise  when  reveille  broke  ovei 
the  plains  at  2  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  July  20th.  A 
southwesterly  course  was  taken  up  promptly  at  3,  and 
by  noon  a  distance  of  twenty  miles  had  been  covered  over 
the  trackless  country,  when  camp  was  established.  At 
evening  a  large  party  of  Chippewa  half-breeds,  said  to 
be  three  hundred  in  number,  came  into  camp,  producing 
something  of  a  sensation  for  a  time.  Father  Andre,  a 
Catholic  priest,  was  the  spokesman  of  the  party.  When 
it  was  learned  the  visitors  were  of  the  Chippewa  nation 
the  soldiers  viewed  the  innovation  with  a  different, 
though  not  an  indifferent,  interest.  The  party  was  com- 
posed of  a  lot  of  hardy,  swarthy,  robust  buffalo  hunters, 
all  mounted  and  well  armed.  There  was  a  generous 
sprinkling  of  full-bloods  among  them,  but  the  former  pre- 
dominated. They  were  very  friendly,  and  were  especially 
so  since,  like  ourselves,  they  were  in  the  enemy's  country. 
They  gave  Gen.  Sibley  much  valuable  information,  among 


262  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

other  things  stating  that  4,000  to  5,000  Sioux  were  in 
camp  some  miles  west  of  the  James  River,  where  they, 
too,  were  buffalo  hunting.  After  a  march  of  eight  miles 
on  the  21st  we  went  into  camp  on  the  James  River,  the 
location  affording  a  good  camping  ground,  and  the  Gen- 
eral desiring  to  "feel"  the  country  to  the  westward  with 
scouting  parties,  but  no  Indians  were  discovered, 

At  the  usual  early  hour  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd 
we  were  again  in  motion.  The  scouts  discovered  Indian 
signs  today.  The  country  is  somewhat  rough  and  rolling, 
but  we  nevertheless  covered  twenty  miles  before  going 
into  camp. 

In  the  saddle  at  3  on  the  morning  of  the  23rd,  we 
made  good  progress,  though  traversing  a  hil'y  and  some- 
what difficult  country  for  hasty  military  operations.  At 
2  P.  M.  we  went  into  camp  after  a  march  of  twenty 
miles.  The  Indian  scouts  manifest  a  feeling  that  we  are 
in  the  immediate  country  of  the  enemy,  though  no  In- 
dians were  seen  during  the  day.  Night  finds  our  camp 
well  intrenched  and  well  picketed. 

Finding  the  Sioux— Battle  of  Big  Mound— Death  of 
Dr.  Weiser— Escape  of  George  A.  Brackett- 
All  Day  and  All  Night  in  the  Saddle— Indian 
Holds  Up  Stars  and  Stripes — Running  Figh  t  of 
Fifteen  Miles. 

The  command  moved  out  of  camp  at  3  o'clock  sharp 
on  the  morning  of  July  24th.  About  noon,  having  cov- 
ered twenty  miles  or  more,  the  command  came  upon  a 
large  body  of  Indians.  The  train  was  at  once  corralled 
and  steps  taken  to  intrench  the  camp. 

Suddenly,  from  the  right  flank,  we  discovered  great 
bodies  of  Indians  gathering  in  groups  on  what  Gen. 
Sibley  named  Big  Mound,  which,  however,  when  we  were 
on  top  of  it  proved  to  be  an  extensive  hill,  quite  bluff-like 
on  the  north  and  west,  with  a  considerable  table-land  on 
the  summit,  sweeping  to  the  south  and  southeast. 

The  spot  was  one  of  the  most  charming  we  had  thus 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  263 

far  found  in  Dakota  Territory.  The  beautiful  grove  that 
skirted  the  mound  did  not  dissolve  from  view  on  our 
approach,  as  the  taunting  mirage  had  done  so  many  times 
previously,  but  remained  real  and  substantial.  Trees  we 
were  unaccustomed  to  see,  and  to  find  on  this  vast,  bound- 
less plain  like  a  jewel,  this  handsome  setting,  with  a  back- 
ground of  lakes,  challenged  the  admiration  of  every  lover 
of  nature,  even  if  we  were  not  permitted  to  enjoy  it  in 
peace.  Here,  at  this  beauty  spot,  5,000  Indians  had  their 
homes  in  the  midst  of  great  buffalo  haunts. 

Standing  Buffalo's  band  constituted  a  part  of  this 
nomadic  group,  and  no  doubt  there  would  have  been  a 
peaceful  surrender  of  the  Indians  without  the  firing  of  a 
shot  but  for  the  act  of  a  treacherous  red  in  whose  mental 
construction  there  had  been  no  provision  made  for  dis- 
cretion. The  Indians  swarmed  in  great  numbers  on  the 
hilltop  to  the  eastward  as  the  expedition  approached  on 
the  plain  below  along  the  western  base  of  the  mound. 
Dr.  J.  S.  Weiser,  surgeon  of  the  Mounted  Rangers,  and 
whose  home  was  at  Shakopee  in  the  Minnesota  valley, 
rode  up  the  hill  beyond  the  lines  of  the  expedition,  where 
he  met  and  mingled  with  the  Indians,  shaking  hands  with 
many  he  had  known  in  his  home  town,  of  which  they 
had  in  early  days  been  frequenters.  Here  a  cowardly 
Indian  stepped  behind  Dr.  Weiser  and  shot  him  in  the 
back  at  short*  range,  killing  him  instantly.  The  whole 
proceeding  was  witnessed  by  the  entire  army  on  the 
plain,  as  if  it  had  been  purposely  staged  for  the  occasion. 
The  puff  of  blue  smoke  and  Dr.  Weiser's  fall,  stricken 
with  death,  was  the  signal  for  attack,  and  the  Indians 
were  put  upon  the  defensive  instantly,  with  a  feeling  of 
revenge  so  intent  that  even  a  flag  of  truce  would  have 
received  scant  courtesy  for  a  time,  though  as  an  evi- 
dence that  the  shooting  was  not  generally  approved  of, 
Dr.  Weiser's  body  was  protected  from  mutilation. 

But  this  was  a  declaration  of  war  admitting  of  no  ex- 
planations, had  explanations  been  offered.  The  cavalry 
was  ordered  to  the  scene  posthaste,  and  for  its  availability 
was  quickly  engaged  under  Col.  McPhail,  though  the 


264  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

whole  body  of  troops  was  moved  actively,  save  the  Tenth 
under  Col.  Baker,  to  whose  lot  it  fell  to  protect  the  in- 
trenched camp  should  it  be  attacked.  The  Sixth  under 
Col.  Crooks  and  Lieut.  Col.  Averill,  the  Seventh  under 
Lieut.  Col.  Marshall  and  the  cavalry  under  Col.  McPhail 
moved  up  the  hill  in  a  battle-front  of  over  a  mile  in 
length,  while  the  artillery  under  Capt.  Jones  and  Lieu- 
tenant Whipple  took  positions  to  facilitate  the  movement 
of  the  troops  up  the  slope.  The  engagement  opened  air 
along  the  line,  and  from  the  plain  below  was  said  to  be 
imposing  and  dramatic — such  as  would  appear  a  seven- 
day  wonder  to  the  peaceful  and  enlightened  North  Dakota 
of  this  age. 

The  Indians  made  a  determined  stand,  realizing  the 
advantage  of  their  position,  but  the  troops  pressed  them 
back  steadily  until  the  brow  of  the  hill  was  gained,  where 
the  real  crux  came.  The  warriors  numbered  fully  fifteen 
hundred,  and  their  entire  strength  was  summoned  to  stay 
the  troops  ere  they  gained  the  summit,  knowing  that  once 
the  hill  was  lost  there  was  no  longer  hope  of  holding  the 
expedition  in  check.  While  all  the  forces  had  not  now 
gained  the  uplands,  a  sufficient  number  had  done  so  to 
determine  the  battle,  which  had  raged  for  two  hours, 
in  favor  of  Gen.  Sibley. 

The  Indians  fell  back  in  great  haste,  crossing  a  plateau 
of  a  mile  in  extent  and  making  a  stand  at  the  brow  of  the 
hill  breaking  to  the  southwestward.  Once  on  the  sum- 
mit, Col.  McPhail  sensed  the  situation  and  seeing  it  was 
the  purpose  of  the  Indians  to  take  shelter  below  the  crest 
of  the  southwestern  slope,  ordered  Lieutenant  Barton  of 
Co.  F  of  the  cavalry  to  charge  the  savages  at  the  ex- 
treme left,  and  Captain  Horace  Austin,  Co.  B,  to  similarly 
charge  a  body  taking  shelter  farther  to  the  right.  The 
cavalry  bounded  off  at  full  speed  with  sabres  ablaze  and 
the  parched  earth  resounding  like  thunder  beneath  the 
hoofs  of  the  flying  column.  The  Indians  quaked  as  the 
columns  approached  them,  holding  their  fire,  however, 
and  delivering  a  furious  volley  before  disappearing  over 
the  hill,  down  which  they  were  found  scampering  in  great 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  265 

confusion.  The  slope  was  too  steep  for  the  charging 
columns,  but  the  men  delivered  a  fire  that  brought  down 
a  number  of  the  fleeing  savages.  At  the  sound  of  the 
bugle  these  two  companies  galloped  to  the  position  taken 
by  Col.  McPhail  to  the  right.  Inactivity  now  pervaded 
the  whole  field  for  some  unknown  reason,  but  because  of 
orders  it  was  asserted,  while  immediately  below  us,  half 
a  mile  away,  at  the  foot  of  the  long  hill,  the  Indians,  men, 
women,  children,  dogs,  ponies  and  all  personal  effects, 
were  compressed  within  narrow  limits  between  two  lakes 
in  a  state  of  panic,  bent  on  escape.  A  column  thrown 
around  the  westernmost  of  the  two  lakes  would  have  com- 
pletely checkmated  this,  resulting  in  the  capture  of  the 
entire  camp.  The  cavalry,  occupying  the  most  advanced 
position,  and  the  only  one  in  view  of  the  retreating  foe, 
were  held  very  unwilling  spectators  while  this  move- 
ment was  going  on.  Officers  and  men  were  almost  un- 
controllable as  it  became  apparent  the  enemy  was  suc- 
cessfully eluding  the  grasp  of  the  soldiery,  but  Col.  Mc- 
Phail, brave  and  aggressive,  counselled  obedience.  While 
thus  lined  up  a  furious  thunderstorm  broke  over  us, 
heaven  and  earth  resounding  with  the  echoing  thunder. 
A  blinding  flash  of  lightning  that  made  every  horse 
crouch  knocked  Col.  McPhail's  sword  from  his  hand  and 
killed  Private  John  Murphy  and  his  horse,  of  Capt. 
Austin's  company  (B1),  on  our  immediate  right.  An 
orderly  at  this  moment  rode  up  and  delivered  a  message 
which  Col.  McPhail  eagerly  glanced  at.  The  bugle 
sounded  the  charge,  and  the  two  companies  bounded 
away,  A  and  L  quickly  joining.  Now  began  a  spec- 
tacular movement  without  a  rival  even  in  fiction.  The 
Indians  had  successfully  escaped  beyond  their  confine- 
ment between  the  lakes  and  were  a  mile  on  their  way 
in  the  open,  headed  southwesterly.  The  progress  of  the 
cavalry  was  impeded  at  the  restricting  point  between  the 
lakes,  but  the  force  was  quickly  formed  into  fours  and 
lost  little  time  in  making  the  passage,  reassuming  again 
a  line  of  battle  and  sweeping  over  the  plains  in  pursuit 
of  the  fleeing  savages. 


266  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

A  supporting  column,  consisting  of  the  Seventh  and  a 
portion  of  the  Tenth,  and  a  section  of  artillery  under 
Lieutenant  Whipple,  was  sent  forward  promptly,  but  to 
overtake  and  keep  up  with  the  cavalry  and  the  flying 
enemy  was  a  physical  impossibility.  The  Indians,  seeing 
they  could  not  escape,  put  their  entire  fighting  force  at 
the  rear  to  protect  their  retreat,  and  a  running  battle, 
covering  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles,  was  fought  at  close 
range.  No  such  spectacle  was  ever  witnessed  before  in 
Indian  warfare,  the  cavalry  pressing  hard  to  force  a 
stand  and  the  Indians  fighting  stubbornly  to  prevent  it, 
and  keep  up  the  movement  towards  the  Missouri.  Sev- 
eral companies  of  cavalry  (H,  J  and  D)  that  had  fought 
in  the  earlier  engagement  dismounted  and  were  thus  hin- 
dered in  the  chase,  came  up  and  joined  in  the  running 
fight,  though  companies  A,  B,  F  and  L  had  maintained, 
single-handedly,  the  running  battle  for  ten  miles  before 
the  reinforcements  reached  the  scene  of  hostilities. 

Two  incidents  of  this  running  battle  were  shocking  and 
should  never  have  occurred  even  in  the  heat  and  passion 
of  an  engagement,  though  these  cavalrymen  had  wit- 
nessed the  unprovoked  murder  of  their  surgeon  earlier 
in  the  day.  One  of  these  incidents  was  the  appearance 
from  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  of  a  stalwart,  muscular  In- 
dian, who  had  wrapped  about  him  a  beautiful  American 
flag.  He  so  displayed  this  that  it  could  not  be  mistaken, 
evidently  intending  to  meet  and  deliver  himself  up  to 
his  pursuers,  possibly  with  a  message  asking  for  terms 
of  surrender;  but  he  became  the  target  for  a  hundred 
shots,  and  realizing  as  the  column  neared  him  that  he 
must  fall  he  began  to  shoot,  bent  upon  selling  his  life 
dearly  if  he  must.  Though  hit  many  times,  with  the 
national  emblem  still  about  his  shoulders,  he  loaded  and 
fired  his  gun  with  great  dexterity.  His  weapon  was  a 
double-barreled  shotgun.  His  mouth  was  filled  with 
buckshot.  He  poured  the  powder  into  the  muzzle  of  his 
piece  for  his  last  shot  and  without  wadding  spat  a  charge 
of  bullets  into  the  gun,  apparently  getting  but  one  cap 
on.  Raising  his  weapon,  he  swept  it  along,  covering  half 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  267 

a  dozen  men  of  the  company  before  he  was  able  to  dis- 
charge it,  finally  exploding  the  cap  and  burying  the 
charge  of  buckshot  in  an  overcoat  rolled  up  on  the  pom- 
mel of  the  saddle  of  Private  Ezra  W.  Green.  The  charge 
was  fired  at  so  short  a  range,  not  exceeding  ten  feet,  that 
the  bullets  did  not  scatter,  but  buried  themselves  deeply 
in  the  rolled  coat,  thus  saving  the  life  of  Green.  The 
stalwart  Indian  now  clubbed  his  gun,  and  with  a  desperate 
blow  very  nearly  unhorsed  Private  Andrias  Carlson,  rid- 
ing next  to  Green.  The  Indian  had  now  more  than  a 
dozen  bullet  wounds  in  his  body  and  still  fought  des- 
perately, and  was  only  finally  finished  by  Private  Archi- 
bald McNee,  at  Carlson's  left,  who  rode  out  of  the  ranks 
and  killed  the  savage.* 

The  other  incident  was  that  in  which  an  old  gray-haired 
warrior  gave  emphasis  to  the  law  of  the  survival  of  the 
fittest.  His  years,  probably  four  score  in  number,  had 
made  him  a  noncombattant.  He  had  kept  up  with  his 
people  until  his  frail  body  had  failed  him,  then  dropping 
back  helplessly  through  the  lines  he  kept  up  his  feeble 
trot,  but  to  all  appearances  exhausted.  He  was  as  de- 
fenseless in  the  matter  of  arms  as  he  was  in  the  matter 
of  age.  A  soldier  rode  out  of  the  ranks  of  Co.  B  with 
drawn  sabre.  The  old  man  heard  his  approach  and  glanc- 
ing up  and  realizing  his  fate  pulled  his  blanket  up  over 
his  head  and  trudged  on  until  the  cavalryman  brought 
his  sword  down  with  such  a  blow  as  only  stalwart  youth 
can  deliver  across  the  back  of  the  old  man's  neck,  which 
must  have  well  nigh  beheaded  him.* 

Many  warriors  fell  in  the  running  fight,  and  their 
comrades  were  too  hotly  pursued  to  bear  them  from  the 
field.  These  were  ridden  over  by  the  cavalry  and  most 
of  them  scalped  by  those  of  the  soldiers  who  had  a  pen- 
chant for  bloody  trophies. 

*A11  this  occurred  immediately  in  front  of  the  set  of 
fours  in  which  I  rode. 


*These  incidents  were  abhorrent  to  me,  and  have  al- 
ways seemed  inhuman,  if  not  criminal. 


268  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

The  remarkable  fight  was  continued  into  the  night,  and 
until  the  darkness  was  so  intense  the  enemy  on  either 
side  only  knew  the  location  of  his  adversary  by  the  flash 
of  the  guns  of  pursued  and  pursuer.  At  about  10  o'clock 
at  night  Lieutenant  Beever  of  General  Sibley's  staff, 
guided  by  the  sound  of  the  running  engagement,  brought 
a  verbal  message  from  the  commanding  general  order- 
ing the  return  of  all  the  forces  to  Big  Mound.  This  or- 
der was  displeasing  to  the  officers  and  men,  but  was 
obeyed.f  Five  miles  back  we  found  the  infantry  ancf 
artillery,  sensibly  bivouacked.  They  fell  in  and  were  able 
with  their  hour  of  rest  to  keep  pace  with  our  reeling, 
jaded  horses.  But  the  night  was  densely  cloudy  and 
intensely  dark,  and  with  nothing  whatever  to  guide  us  in 
this  strange  country  we  lost  our  way,  running  into  annoy- 
ing obstacles  now  and  then  to  impede  our  progress  and 
divert  us  into  greater  confusion  of  mind.  The  artillery 
was  brought  into  use  and  several  shots  fired,  but  no 
response  came.  Our  wanderings  were  continued  until 
daylight,  when,  at  about  4  o'clock,  we  got  a  response 
from  a  shot  fired  at  that  time  by  Lieut.  Whipple.  Thus 
guided,  we  reached  camp  at  7  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Rarely  are  soldiers  put  to  a  severer  test  than  that  en- 
dured by  these  men.  The  cavalrymen  had  been  con- 
stantly in  the  saddle  for  twenty-eight  hours  and  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  that  time  actively  engaged  in  con- 
flict, with  nothing  to  eat  and  without  water  since  in  the 
forenoon  of  the  previous  day.  The  infantry  had  fared 
but  little  better,  except  that,  so  much,  in  the  nature  of 
things,  was  not  expected  from  that  arm  of  the  service. 
The  horses  were  in  a  pitiable  condition,  having  been 
ridden  excessively  hard  without  food,  drink  or  rest.  Get- 
ting in,  they  were  watered  and  picketed  out.  The  camp 
had  been  broken  and  everything  packed  for  the  march 

fit  was  insisted  by  Gen.  Sibley  this  order  was  in> 
properly  delivered  by  Lieut.  Beever.  "Bivouac  where 
night  overtakes  you  if  you  can  hold  your  ground;  return 
to  camp  if  you  cannot,"  is  said  to  have  been  the  order. 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  269 

when  we  entered  it,  so  the  exhausted  men  fell  upon  their 
faces  on  the  plain,  without  waiting  to  prepare  food,  and 
with  nothing  to  shelter  them  slept  in  the  broiling  sun 
until  late  in  the  day.  The  chief  bugler  sounded  the  as- 
sembly, which  was  caught  and  repeated,  rousing  the  men 
from  their  stupor  to  again  take  up  the  march.  Making 
a  distance  of  five  miles,  the  command  went  into  camp 
for  the  night,  and  here  it  was  that  many  a  soldier  ate  his 
first  meal  and  drank  his  first  cup  of  coffee  in  forty  hours. 
Here  the  remains  of  Eh%  Weiser  and  Private  John  Murphy 
were  buried  with  military  honors.  Our  day's  rest  and  our 
square  meal  in  the  evening  had  fitted  us  for  picket  duty 
for  the  night,  which  was  made  anything  but  pleasant  by 
a  drizzling  rain  and  a  northeast  wind  full  of  chill.* 

Battle  of  Dead  Buffalo  Lake. 

July  26th  we  moved  out  of  camp  at  an  early  hour,  fol- 
lowing the  trail  over  which  the  cavalry  had  fought  the 
enemy  on  the  24th.  As  we  reached  Dead  Buffalo  Lake 
at  2  P.  M.  the  Indians  revealed  themselves  across  the 

*On  the  morning  of  the  24th  Lieutenant  Ambrose  Free- 
man of  Co.  D,  cavalry,  and  George  A.  Brackett,  beef  con- 
tractor, dropped  out  of  the  lines  for  a  buffalo  hunt,  not 
an  uncommon  thing  for  officers  and  men  to  do,  though 
forbidden.  They  were  five  miles  or  more  from  the  com- 
mand, to  the  left  and  rear,  on  the  day  the  Indians  were 
encountered,  but  were  cut  off  by  savages  while  the  Big 
Mound  engagement  was  in  progress,  and  Lieut.  Free- 
man killed.  Brackett  had  a  most  sensational  experience, 
escaping  and  returning  eastward  on  foot,  his  horse  having 
been  taken  at  the  time  Freeman  was  killed,  reaching  Camp 
Atchison  after  five  days  of  wandering,  more  dead  than 
alive  and  the  hero  of  experiences  and" triumphs  unparal- 
leled. It  was  supposed  that  both  men  had  been  slain  by 
the  savages  until  meeting  a  party  of  Chippewa  hunters 
within  a  day's  march  of  Camp  Atchison  on  our  return. 
The  Chippewas  had  visited  Camp  Atchison  and  told  of 
Brackett's  safe  arrival  there. 


270  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

path  of  the  expedition,  well  in  advance.  They  were  at 
long  range  and  Lieut.  Whipple's  battery  was  turned  upon 
them.  They  were  observant  rather  than  belligerent  for 
a  time,  plotting  deviltry  as  was  suspected  by  those  familiar 
with  their  tricks.  Their  purpose  was  later  revealed  when 
from  the  cover  of  a  hill  on  the  right  a  mounted  force 
swept  down  like  a  hurricane  on  the  hundreds  of  grazing 
horses  and  mules  that  had  by  this  time  been  picketed 
out.  The  game  was  a  bold  one  and  would  have  proved 
a  great  triumph  had  it  succeeded,  but  the  mere  presence 
of  the  enemy  was  enough  to  warn  commanders  of  their 
danger.  This  bold  dash  led  to  a  hot  fight  between  the 
savages  on  one  side  and  the  Indian  scouts  and  the  cavalry 
on  the  other.  The  Indians,  as  a  counter  move,  attacked 
the  left  and  front,  but  the  Sixth  Minnesota  handled  them 
roughly,  with  the  assistance  of  the  artillery.  The  battle 
lasted  two  hours,  during  which  the  Indians  were  worsted 
at  every  point  of  the  field.  The  camp  was  well  intrenched 
and  strongly  picketed  for  the  night,  but  was  undisturbed 
by  the  savages,  and  on  the  following  day  the  command 
after  a  hard  march  of  twenty  miles  over  a  rolling  coun- 
try, man  and  beast  suffering  greatly  for  want  of  water, 
reached  Stony  Lake.  While  on  this  expedition  extremely 
early  rising  was  the  rule,  early  retirement  was  no  less 
the  practice.  Camp  was  necessarily  established  with  ref- 
erence to  grass  and  water,  but  these  conditions  were 
usually  found  at  from  11  A.  M.  to  2.  P.  M. 

Battle  of  Stony  Lake — Spectacular  Scene. 

Stony  Lake  was  a  very  small  body  of  alkali  water 
situated  in  camp,  but  immediately  south  of  our  line  of 
march. 

The  morning  of  July  28th  was  one  of  exceptional 
beauty.  At  the  usual  early  hour  the  command  taking  up 
its  line  of  march  from  the  lake,  surrounding  the  train  as 
was  customary,  was  slowly  wending  its  way  up  a  long 
slope  in  a  westerly  course  with  the  rear  guard  just  ready 
to  move,  when,  as  if  by  magic,  the  plain  swarmed  with 
savages.  The  atmosphere  was  tinted  with  smoke,  as  on 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  271 

an  autumn  morning,  giving  the  flood  of  sunlight  now  en- 
veloping the  earth,  a  ruddiness  that  added  spirit  to  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  military  encounters  ever  wit- 
nessed. The  Indians  were  naked,  except  as  to  the  cus- 
tomary breechclout,  and  were  all  mounted.  Their  num- 
bers had  been  largely  augmented  from  along  the  Missouri, 
Sitting  Bull  being  among  the  new  accessions,  and  here 
for  the  first  time  "measuring  swords"  with  the  white  race. 
Fully  two  thousand  warriors  were  in  this  spectacular  en- 
gagement, dramatic  beyond  description.  As  if  springing 
spontaneously  out  of  the  earth,  these  scurrying,  painted 
demons,  hair  streaming  and  bending  forward  as  if  to 
accelerate  the  speed  of  their  flying  ponies,  completely  en- 
veloped Gen.  Srbley's  little  army,  with  yells  calculated  to 
make  the  soldiers  "sit  up  and  take  notice."  The  Mis- 
souri was  but  thirty  miles  distant,  and  the  expedition  must 
be  held  in  check  until  the  families  and  personal  effects  of 
the  Indians  could  be  successfully  transferred  to  the  west- 
ern shores  of  that  river.  Hence  this  was  a  battle  of  des- 
peration on  the  part  of  the  savages,  who  fought  with  a 
bravery  admired  even  by  their  enemies.  The  engage- 
ment opened  around  the  entire  great  circle,  the  object 
evidently  being  to  find  a  vulnerable  point  into  which  it 
was  plainly  intended  to  pour  a  stream  of  savages  at  any 
sacrifice,  but  Gen.  Sibley's  forces  were  well  disposed  and 
fought  gallantly,  every  soldier  being  engaged. 

The  ruddy  sunlight  gave  the  naked  demons,  in  their 
desperate  assaults,  a  weird  appearance,  smacking  of  ro- 
mance rather  than  of  real  human  endeavor,  and  the  only 
hardship  of  which  any  man  could  complain  was  that  of 
being  required  to  perform  duty  while  so  tragic  ancf 
graphic  an  exhibition  was  spread  along  the  slope  ancf 
over  the  plains  in  the  depths  of  that  wild,  boundless  soli- 
tude. 

Mingled  with  hideous  yells  were  the  rattle  of  musketry 
and  the  roar  of  cannon,  amid  which,  with  bounding  dashes 
here  and  there,  the  savages  endeavored  to  break  our  lines, 
but  these  brave  endeavors  only  resulted  in  increased  losses 
to  the  enemy,  and  after  more  than  two  hours  of  fierce 


272  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

fighting  the  Indians  disappeared  as  mysteriously  as  they 
had  swooped  down  upon  us,  leaving  many  dead  on  the 
field,  but  rescuing  by  acts  of  admirable  daring  most  of 
their  wounded,  whom  they  bore  away  on  their  ponies. 
Lines  were  now  reformed  for  the  march,  and  the  expedi- 
tion covered  a  distance  of  over  twenty-two  miles  over  a 
difficult  country  before  establishing  camp.  After  the  close 
of  the  morning  engagement  not  an  Indian  was  seen  dur- 
ing the  day's  march. 

Great    Quantities  of  Dried   Buffalo    Meat— Robes 

Galore. 

When  the  expedition  reached  Big  Mound,  where  the 
first  engagement  was  fought,  the  Indians  were  in  camp 
near  the  foot  of  the  southwestern  exposure  of  the 
"mound."  When  the  battle  was  precipitated,  and  the 
Indians  finally  forced  to  retreat,  this  camp  was  hastily 
broken  and  movables  packed  for  flight.  As  the  running 
fight  warmed  up,  the  flying  Indians  began  to  sacrifice  one 
impediment,  then  another,  until  the  path  of  the  fleeing 
savages  was  easily  traced  thence  to  the  Missouri  River, 
the  greater  quantities  being  sacrificed  in  the  first  forty 
or  fifty  miles  of  the  eighty-mile  flight.  The  Indians  had 
spent  the  summer  up  to  the  time  Gen.  Sibley  overhauled 
them  in  buffalo  hunting.  They  had  already  obtained 
and  dried  their  winter's  supply  of  buffalo  meat,  and  had 
accumulated  and  tanned  great  quantities  of  fine  robes. 
These  products  were  surplusage  on  such  an  occasion  as 
this,  and  as  they  impeded  the  progress  of  the  retreating 
savages  were  sacrificed  by  degrees  as  necessity  compelled, 
so  that  the  ground  was  strewn  for  miles  with  the  dried 
meat  and  valuable  robes.  The  soldiers  gathered  great 
quantities  of  the  dried  but  unsalted  buffalo  meat,  which 
they  carried  in  their  haversacks  for  lunch  on  the  march, 
not  questioning  its  preparation  by  hands  never  washed 
except  by  accident.  The  dried  meat  was  very  nutritious, 
and,  salted,  highly  palatable.  Of  the  hundreds  of  robes 
many  choice  ones  were  gathered,  but  being  cumbersome 
the  soldiers,  like  the  Indians,  were  obliged,  sooner  or 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  273 

later,  to  discard  them.  In  packing  for  the  flight,  even 
the  dogs  had  been  loaded  to  the  limit  of  their  carrying 
capacity.  One  poor  canine,  late  in  the  afternoon  of  our 
running  fight  of  the  24th,  fell  out  of  the  race  with  his 
enormous  load,  which  contained,  among  other  things,  a 
heavy  ax,  lashed  to  his  body.  A  soldier  kindly  cut  the 
thongs  with  which  his  load  was  bound  up  and  fastened 
to  him,  allowing  him  to  escape  and  join  his  friends. 

The  Indians  had  thrown  away  their  entire  stock  of  pro- 
visions in  their  panic,  and  the  last  day  or  so  of  their  flight 
were  compelled  to  subsist  on  "bread  root,"  which  grew 
abundantly  on  the  hills  and  which  had  been  dug  in  great 
quantities,  as  the  freshly-made  holes,  with  some  pointed 
instrument,  attested. 

Breaking  camp  early  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the 
command  took  up  the  pursuit.  A  numerous  body  of 
mounted  Indians  suddenly  appeared  on  the  right,  left  and 
front,  but  as  suddenly  disappeared  without  offering  battle, 
and  without  leading  the  expedition  a  wild  chase,  as  they 
had  hoped  to  do,  and  were  not  seen  again.  The  Sioux 
are  skilled  in  the  art  of  concealing  their  movements,  even 
in  a  comparatively  open  country. 

Entering  the  Missouri  Valley— Striking  the  Missouri 
— Death  of  Lieut.  Beaver. 

As  we  descended  into  the  valley  of  the  Missouri  at 
about  9  in  the  forenoon  we  could  see  the  massed  savages 
climbing  the  hills  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  they 
having  reached  and  successfully  crossed  that  great  stream 
during  the  night  and  early  morning  by  the  aid  of  rafts 
of  hasty  and  rude  construction,  and  even  by  plunging 
frantically  into  the  turbid  river  and  swimming  for  life. 
Those  who  witnessed  the  scurrying  mass  as  it  ascended 
the  hills  beyond  the  river,  a  few  miles  distant,  will  never 
forget  the  spectacle.  The  slanting  rays  of  the  forenoon 
sun  were  reflected  from  hundreds  of  mirrors  hung  as  in- 
dispensable personal  trappings  to  the  bodies  of  these 
strange,  wild  people,  producing  an  effect  of  the  occasion's 
own  peculiar  exclusiveness. 


274  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

At  about  11  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  the  expedition 
reached  the  Missouri  River  at  the  mouth  of  Apple  Creek, 
about  four  miles  below  the  present  city  of  Bismarck. 
Above  the  mouth  of  Apple  Creek  a  mile  or  so  is  the  point 
at  which  the  Indians  had  made  their  crossing  of  the  Mis- 
souri. The  river  bottom  on  the  east  side  was  here  quite 
heavily  timbered,  and  the  Sixth  Minnesota,  under  Col. 
Crooks,  was  ordered  to  explore  the  woods  and  place  of 
crossing.  Numerous  warriors  were  concealed  in  the  tim- 
ber, and  spirited  skirmishing  resulted  from  their  presence, 
during  which  Lieut.  Beever*  of  Gen.  Sibley's  staff  entered 
the  woods  .with  an  order  to  Col.  Crooks,  which  he  de- 
livered, but  the  Lieutenant  was  ambushed  and  killed  on 
his  return.  His  body  was  not  found  until  the  following 
day,  when  it  was  discovered  where  it  had  fallen,  pierced 
with  bullets  and  arrows.  He  wore  his  hair  cropped  closely 
or  was  slightly  bald,  and  his  murderers  removed  the  skin 
from  the  lower  part  of  his  face,  bearing  the  trimmed 
beard,  instead  of  taking  his  scalp.  His  body  was  interred 
in  a  lonely  grave  within  the  camp-ground,  hundreds  of 
miles  from  civilization,  as  was  that  of  Private  Nicholas 
Miller  of  Co.  K  of  the  Sixth,  who  was  also  killed  in  the 
woods. 

Col.  Crooks  found  about  one  hundred  wagons  the  In- 
dians had  abandoned  in  their  hasty  crossing  during  the 
night,  together  with  camp  equipage,  all  of  which  he  col- 
lected and  burned.  On  the  night  of  the  29th  the  Indians 
attacked  our  camp,  but  retired  after  firing  a  volley  or  two, 
and  very  properly,  for  the  night  was  beautiful — such  as 
would  have  set  the  heart  of  Tom  Moore  atune  with  its 
summer  breath,  full  moon  and  floating  clouds — too  beau- 
tiful for  this  incivility. 

Here  ended  the  campaign  of  the  Sibley  Expedition 

*Lieutenant  Beever  was  an  Englishman  who  had  se- 
cured a  position  on  Gen.  Sibley's  staff  at  his  own  request, 
and  on  the  recommendation  of  influential  friends  who 
knew  him,  and  was  not,  it  was  said,  a  naturalized  citizen 
an(|  not  an  American  soldier. 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  275 

of  1863.  With  barely  rations  enough  left  to  make  the 
return  to  Camp  Atchison,  and  with  animals  in  a  state  of 
collapse,  further  pursuit  of  the  savages  was  out  of  the 
question.  It  had  been  arranged  before  leaving  Camp 
Pope  that  Gen.  Alfred  Sully  should  meet  Gen.  Sibley  on 
the  Missouri,  if  possible,  he  to  proceed  from  Sioux  City, 
Iowa,  at  least  a  part  of  the  way  by  river  transports,  with 
an  army  similar  to  that  commanded  by  Sibley ;  but  noth- 
ing could  be  learned  of  Gen.  Sully,  he,  as  was  later 
known,  having  been  detained  at  many  points  by  low 
water.  Rockets  and  the  battery  were  used  on  the  nights 
of  July  30th  and  31st  in  the  hope  that  by  this  signalling 
communication  might  be  established  with  the  Sully  ex- 
pedition, but  no  response  came. 

On  the  Ground  Where  Bismarck  Stands. 

On  the  30th  and  31st  the  cavalry  and  scouts  recon- 
noitered  the  country  up  the  Missouri,  riding  over  the 
ground  where  Bismarck  is  located,  but  in  a  day  when 
that  city  was  not  so  much  as  a  figment  in  the  mind  of 
any  dreamer. 

The  Indians  had  been  severely  punished,  while  their 
property  loss  had  reduced  them  to  a  state  of  destitution, 
and  not  the  least  of  their  losses  was  the  exhaustion  very 
largely  of  their  supply  of  ammunition,  for  upon  this  they 
must  depend  principally  for  their  subsistence. 

Inkpaduta  Not  a  Leader — Lean  Bear  Dead. 

It  has  been  said  recently  by  a  writer  that  Inkpoduta 
was  the  "Napoleon"  who  led  the  savages  from  the  open- 
ing of  the  battle  at  Big  Mound  until  the  passage  of  the 
Missouri,  and  that  Lean  Bear  was  one  of  his  lieuten- 
ants. Inkpaduta  was  never  more  than  a  horse-thief  and 
cut-throat,  dreaded  and  despised  by  the  Sioux  in  gen- 
eral, who  were  never  known  to  give  him  any  following, 
except  from  among  the  outlaws  and  oucasts  whom  the 
Indians  in  general  could  not  tolerate  with  patience.  As 
for  Lean  Bear,  he  had  been  dead  nearly  a  year  when 
the  battle  of  Big  Mound  was  fought,  having  been  killed 


276  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

August  20,  1862,  by  a  settler  named  Duly,  at  Lake  She- 
tek,  Minnesota.  It  was  one  of  Inkpaduta's  outlaws  who 
shot  and  killed  Dr.  Weiser,  and  brought  upon  the  Indians 
the  hardships,  suffering  and  losses  they  sustained  from 
that  hour  on,  making  Inkpaduta  more  despised  than  ever 
before,  for  without  any  doubt  it  was  the  purpose  of  the 
Indians  as  a  body  to  surrender  peaceably  to  Gen.  Sibley 
and  trust  to  his  clemency.  They  knew  of  his  presence 
in  the  immediate  country  they  occupied,  but  did  not  even 
move  their  families,  meeting  the  approach  of  the  general 
when  within  cannon  shot  of  their  great  camp,  not  as  war- 
riors, but  as  spectators,  and  sending  him  word  by  the 
Indian  scouts  they  wished  to  hold  a  council  with  him, 
which  would  no  doubt  have  taken  place  but  for  the  treach- 
erous act  of  a  follower  of  Inkpaduta. 

Turning  Homeward— Great  Joy  in  Camp. 

I  find  in  my  diary,  under  date  of  August  1st,  1863, 
this  entry:  "All  is  joy  this  morning,  for  we  turn  our 
faces  once  more  toward  civilization.  At  no  time  has  there 
been  such  rejoicing  before,  and  the  boys  manifest  their 
pleasure  in  everything  they  do,  and  at  every  turn.  Never 
again  will  the  hills  of  the  Missouri  echo  the  strains  of 
'Home,  Sweet  Home'  with  all  the  emphasis,  feeling 
and  meaning  they  are  wafted  over  the  valley  this  morn- 
ing. And  how  sad  the  thought  so  many  have  been  de- 
prived by  death  from  sharing  this  jubilee  and  the  fond 
hopes  that  have  inspired  it.  It  is  now  forty-seven  days 
since  we  saw  a  mark  of  civilization,  and  with  our  well- 
nigh  exhausted  animals  we  can  hardly  hope  to  make  civ- 
ilization in  less  than  another  forty-seven  days.  Not  once 
have  we  seen  the  face  of  a  woman  during  the  long  sum- 
mer's campaign,  and  it  is  the  hope  of  greeting  again, 
some  day,  the  kind-faced  mother,  sister  or  sweetheart  that 
has  made  so  joyful  the  hearts  of  the  soldier  boys  today." 

We  left  camp  on  the  Missouri  this  morning,  our  com- 
pany, with  another,  acting  as  rear  guard,  thus  lingering 
until  the  command  had  taken  up  the  march.  But  for  the 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  277 

lonely  graves  we  were  leaving  the  farewell  would  not  have 
been  a  sad  one. 

Death  of  Chaska— A  Really  Noble  Indian. 

We  made  twenty-two  miles  on  the  first  day  of  our 
return  march,  and  fifteen  on  the  second  day.  On  the 
evening  of  the  second  day,  that  of  August  2nd,  Chaska, 
one  of  the  valued  Sioux  scouts  and  a  good  man  was 
taken  violently  ill  and  died.  He  had  left  a  family  in  Min- 
nesota which  he  had  fondly,  and  that  we  had  turned  back, 
reasonably  hoped  to  see  again. 

Crystal  Springs— Name  Given  by  Gen.  Sibley — Back 
at  Camp  Atchison— Capture  of  Little  Crow's 
Son. 

At  our  camp  ground  on  the  3rd  we  found  springs  of 
delicious  water — the  best  we  had  been  permitted  to  enjoy 
since  leaving  Camp  Pope.  The  Missouri  River  was  not 
accessible  to  us,  and  the  water  of  Apple  Creek  was  the 
personification  of  moisture  and  alkali.  There  were  no 
empty  canteens  when  we  left  this  camp  on  the  morning 
of  the  4th.  We  reached  Big  Mound  on  the  4th.  On  the 
6th  we  met  a  party  of  Chippewa  half-breeds,  who  had 
been  at  Camp  Atchison,  and  who  informed  us  George  A. 
Brackett,  after  a  heroic  struggle,  had  reached  that  camp 
on  the  29th  of  July.  This  was  occasion  for  general  re- 
joicing, for  there  was  little  hope  that  Brackett  had  es- 
caped death. 

We  got  out  of  the  coteau  at  10  o'clock  on  the  fore- 
noon of  the  7th,  to  our  great  relief,  as  henceforth  we 
should  traverse  a  comparatively  level  country.  On  Au- 
gust 10th  we  marched  into  Camp  Atchison,  and  were 
given  a  soldiers'  welcome  by  our  comrades,  who  served 
to  us  a  royal  supper  of  baked  beans,  fried  hardtack  and 
coffee,  with  cream  from  the  milk  of  human  kindness  in 
it.  This  was  a  royal  supper  from  the  fact  that  we  had 
been  kept  too  busy  to  practice  cookery  in  so  high  a  style 
of  the  art.  The  men  were  impatient  for  the  story  of 


278  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

our  adventures,  swapping  their  stock  of  information, 
which  consisted  of  that  of  the  capture  of  Little  Crow's 
son  by  them  in  our  absence,  for  the  tales  of  an  adventur- 
ous campaign.  To  us  the  news  of  the  capture  of  the 
young  Indian  was  equal  in  interest  to  any  single  event 
we  could  recount,  for  through  the  boy  was  gathered  the 
first  knowledge  we  had  of  the  killing  of  his  distinguished 
father  by  Lampson.  The  boy  was  hunted  up  and  curi- 
ously scanned.  He  was  a  youth  of  sixteen,  wan  and 
slender,  and  gave  his  name  as  Wa-Wi-Nap-a,  which  he 
pronounced  very  musically.  His  father  had  wearied  of 
fighting  the  whites,  and  with  a  small  party  of  Indians, 
fifteen  men  and  one  squaw  in  all,  had  walked  all  the  way 
from  the  Devils  Lake  country  to  the  Minnesota  frontier, 
his  father's  mission  being  principally  to  steal  horses,  of 
which  he  was  in  great  need.  The  boy  had  accompanied 
his  father  to  assist  in  carrying  his  "pack."  Little  Crow 
and  his*  son  were  separated  from  the  other  members  of 
the  party.  They  were  five  or  six  miles  north  of  Hutchin- 
son,  Minnesota,  on  the  evening  of  July  3rd,  and  were 
picking  berries,  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  white  men. 
Nathan  Lampson  and  son  Chauncey  as  was  later 
learned  were  passing  the  spot,  and  discovered  the  In- 
dians. Both  Lampsons  were  armed,  as  were  all  who  ex- 
posed themselves  on  the  frontier  after  the  massacre.  Lit- 
tle Crow  and  son  were  in  comparatively  open  ground, 
while  the  Lampsons  were  less  exposed.  The  latter  were 
in  doubt  as  to  the  best  course  to  pursue,  not  knowing  how 
many  Indians  constituted  the  party,  but  the  senior  Lamp- 
son  resolved  to  creep  forward  to  a  tree,  and  from  its 
shelter  kill,  if  possible,  the  older  of  the  two  Indians. 

Camp  Atchison  Abandoned— Homeward   Bound. 

On  the  morning  of  August  12th,  1863,  Camp  Atchison 
passed  out  of  existence,  the  entire  command  taking  up  its 
long  march  to  civilization.  Here  came  a  parting  of  the 
ways,  too,  for  those  who  had  so  long  been  associated  with 
each  other,  Gen.  Sibley  returning  with  the  main  body  of 
the  expedition  by  our  former  trail  as  far  as  the  big  bend  of 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  279 

the  Cheyenne,  thence  to  Abercrombie  and  on  to  Fort 
Snelling,  while  Col.  McPhail,  with  companies  B,  E,  F,  I, 
and  M  of  the  cavalry,  was  ordered  to  the  southward, 
west  of  the  Cheyenne.  This  lilliputian  offshoot  was  given 
one  piece  of  artillery  and  a  scant  supply  of  provisions,  and 
worst  of  all,  Col.  McPhail,  knowing  the  great  anxiety  of 
the  men  to  again  reach  civilization,  informed  his  officers 
and  men,  when  camp  was  established  at  the  end  of  the 
first  day's  march,  that  his  orders  were  to  make  an  expe- 
dition into  the  Snake  River  country,  and  that  he  felt  he 
had  been  unfairly  shunted  for  such  a  perilous  undertak- 
ing with  so  small  a  force.  The  Colonel  betrayed  no  sign 
of  the  fact,  but  he  must  have  suffered  in  his  endeavors 
to  suppress  his  pent-up  feelings  when  he  discovered  what 
a  hit  he  had  made,  for  the  outburst  of  the  wrath  of  the 
disappointed  men  pretty  nearly  set  the  prairie  afire.  He 
cautioned  moderation  and  obedience.  He  expressed  ear- 
nest indignation  himself,  but  the  personal  feelings  of  a 
soldier  was  as  nothing,  he  said,  when  an  order  to  perform 
a  duty  had  once  been  given.  He  then  repaired  to  his 
tent. 

The  men  were  furious.  Where  was  Snake  River — east 
or  west  of  the  Missouri?  No  one  could  tell,  and  for- 
tunately for  the  Colonel,  no  map  of  this  region  had  ever 
been  made.  Twenty-eight  hours  of  fighting  was  nothing 
as  compared  with  this  outrage,  for  it  was  supposed  the 
season's  campaigning  was  over,  and  there  was  to  be  a  re- 
turn to  civilized  life ;  and  now  this  infamous  Snake  River 
expedition  had  been  sprung,  with  five  companies  and  a 
wheelbarrow  load  of  provisions.  The  old  earthen  bed 
upon  which  the  men  had  slept  all  summer  was  unusually 
hard  that  night,  but  the  boys  became  resigned  to  their 
fate. 

Timely  Capture  of  Cattle— Old  Council  Ground- 
On  Quarter  Rations— Capt.  Allen  Kills  Buffalo 
Where  Redwood  Falls  Now  Stands. 

On  the  14th  we  discovered  and  captured  six  head  of 


280  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

cattle,  of  which  we  made  excellent  use.  They  were 
probably  from  Brackett's  herd,  though  this  fact  could  not 
be  established.  A  buffalo  was  killed  on  the  15th,  just 
as  we  were  establishing  camp  about  three  miles  west  of 
the  Cheyenne  River.  On  the  night  of  the  16th  we  camped 
where  in  1853  was  held  a  monster  Sioux  council,  attend- 
ed by  all  the  Dakotas  east  of  the  Missouri,  and  by  many 
from  beyond  that  stream.  Our  Indian  guide  could  tell 
us  little  of  the  council,  except  that  it  had  some  reference 
to  the  treaty  of  1851,  with  which  the  Missouri  River  In- 
dians were  dissatisfied.  On  the  17th  we  camped  on  the 
spot  on  the  Cheyenne  where  Fort  Ransom  was  after- 
wards founded.  On  the  20th,  after  completing  our 
march,  four  buffalo  passed  along  the  outer  edge  of  our 
camp.  A  party  of  men  mounted  their  horses  and  gave 
chase,  killing  two  of  the  fine  animals,  and  returning  to 
camp  loaded  with  choice  steaks.  On  the  22nd  we  struck 
our  old  trail  amid  great  rejoicing.  The  Snake  River 
hoax  now  positively  revealed  itself,  and  for  the  first  time 
really  had  a  funny  aspect.  The  23rd  we  had  our  first 
wood  fire  since  leaving  the  Missouri,  bidding  finai  adieu 
to  buffalo  chips.  The  24th  we  camped  near  Big  Stone 
Lake,  and  were  put  on  half  rations.  Fortunately  a  party 
from  Capt.  Austin's  company  killed  a  buffalo  just  before 
going  into  camp.  A  team  was  sent  out  and  brought  in 
the  entire  carcass.  The  25th  we  camped  on  the  Wheat- 
stone  River.  The  event  of  the  26th  was  that  of  being 
put  on  quarter  rations.  A  diary  notation  suggests  that 
"this  beats  Snake  River."  At  the  crossing  of  the  Lacqui 
Parle  River,  on  the  28th,  we  found  a  great  abundance  of 
wild  plums,  the  first  fruit  in  any  form  we  had  been  priv- 
ileged to  enjoy  for  months.  The  last  important  event 
before  terminating  our  return  march  occurred  on  the  31st, 
when  Capt.  Dwight  W.  Allen,  of  Co.  I,  killed  a  buffalo 
near  the  site  of  the  present  little  city  of  Redwood  Falls. 
The  country  had  been  deserted  for  a  year,  and  the  ex- 
cellent pastures  of  the  region  had  tempted  the  "cattle  of 
the  plains"  to  repossess  themselves  of  it  once  more.  Our 
camp  was  on  the  Redwood  River  on  the  night  of  the  31st. 


SIBLEY  EXPEDITION.  281 

Capt.  Allen  and  a  companion  brought  in  what  steak  they 
could  carry,  and  a  team  was  sent  out  to  bring  in  the  re- 
mainder of  the  animal,  which,  to  the  hungry  men,  was  like 
a  shower  of  manna.  Passing  the  abandoned  Redwood 
Agency  on  the  morning  of  September  1st,  we  arrived  at 
Fort  Ridgely  before  noon  of  that  day. 

Behold  the  Transformation—The  End. 

Behold  the  transformation  that  followed  restlessly  in 
the  wake  of  this  campaign — the  evolution  of  an  empire 
from  a  wilderness  in  the  life-time  of  hundreds  of  those 
who  assisted  in  the  onerous  tasks  of  wresting  from  the 
idle  and  indolent  savage,  as  fair  a  land  as  the  sun  ever 
kissed,  or  the  breath  of  summer  ever  caressed,  moulded 
now  into  the  magnificent  commonwealth  of  North  Da- 
kota, with  its  cities  and  its  towns,  its  schools  and  its 
churches^  its  net-work  of  railroads,  its  thousands  of  rural 
homes,  many  of  them  in  all  respects  modern,  its  vast  herds 
that  have  displaced  the  buffalo  and  the  antelope,  and  its 
golden  fields — a  great  state  in  a  word,  subdued,  beautified, 
glorified,  and  made  rich  from  the  fertility  of  its  own 
matchless  soil.  What  a  privilege  to  have  witnessed  such 
a  transformation,  inconceivable  in  any  but  our  own  won- 
derful country,  for  such  a  transition  one  could  not  wit- 
ness on  the  Continent  of  Europe  were  he  permitted  to 
live  a  thousand  years. 

Blessed  is  the  memory  when  we  ranged  with  free  hand 
in  the  work  of  reclamation,  amid  scenes  forever  vanished, 
or  now  obscured  by  the  stage-settings  of  civilization. 

There  was  ever  an  inspiration  in  the  vast,  rolling 
plains — a  spirit  of  freedom  never  to  be  purged  from  the 
blood  when  once  taken  into  it.  Oceans  and  mountains 
challenge  our  admiration,  and  no  less  do  great  treeless 
expanses  of  boundless  green,  that  roll  away  like  the 
bounding  billows  of  an  emerald  sea,  to  kiss  the  bending 
skies  of  our  horizon.  So  far  as  the  works  of  man  were 
concerned,  all  was  desolation.  Buffalo  and  antelope  scur- 


282  SIBLEY  EXPEDITION. 

ried  over  the  great,  wild  pastures  in  herds  and  bands  in- 
numerable, while  the  Indian,  in  all  his  pride  and  glory, 
roamed  as  the  undisputed  master  of  the  great  region  that 
to  man  was  merely  a  solitude  of  limitless  possibilities. 


INDEX 


My  Excuse 1 

Sioux  Massacre — Cause  of  the  Outbreak 9 

Yellow  Medicine  Incident 17 

Beginning  of  the  Outbreak — Desperate  Work  at  Redwood  Ferry 29 

Miraculous  Escape  of  Blodgett,  Sutherland  and  Others 55 

Determined  to  Attack  Fort  Ridgely 77 

Courier  Sturgis  Breaks  the  News  to  St.  Peter, 80 

First  Attack  on  Fort  Ridgely 88 

Second  Attack  on  Fort  Ridgely 99 

Fort  Ridgely  Never  Surprised  by  Sioux 106 

Daring  Service  of  Messengers  Sturgis  and  McLain 107 

Noble  Men  and  Women  Among  the  Refugees 118 

New  Ulm 122 

Birch  Coulie 129 

Wood  Lake  and  Camp  Release 135 

Attack  on  Fort  Abercrombie 140 

Escape  of  Missionaries 142 

An  Incident  Preceding  the  Outbreak 146 

Incidents  of  the  Siege  of  Fort  Ridgely 1 50 

About  Losses 153 

Talks  of  Cruelty  as  told  by  Refugee* 156 

Execution  of  Thirty-Eight  Indians 164 

Dr.  Alfred  Muller 167 

A  Woman  in  Battle 169 

The  Grand  Old  Ferryman 1 73 

John  McCole 175 

Standing  Buffalo 177 

Little  Crow 183 

The  Man  Who  Killed  Little  Crow 187 

Death  of  Chaska 191 

Gallant  Sons  of  Fillmore  and  Freeborn  Counties 1 93 

Miraculous  Escape  of  the  Reynolds  Family 1% 


ii  INDEX. 

Remarkable  Experiences  of  a  Remarkable  Woman 203 

Sibley  Expedition  of  1863. 

Assembling  an  Army  for  the  Sibley  Expedition 242 

Hardships  of  Frontier  Military  Service — Hauling  Wagons  by  Man-power. .  240 

Camp  Pope — Personnel  of  the  Army 243 

Jime  16,  1853,  A  Memorable  Day— How  Small  Pox  Restored  Quiet. .  244 
General  Sibley 's  Habits  of  Early   Rising— Our  First  Day's  March— The 

Mules  and  the  Bluet 245 

Camp  on  the  Battlefield  of  Wood  Lake 247 

The  Desolate  Yellow  Medicine  Agency — Camp  at  Hazelwood 247 

Camp  Release— A  Cold  June  Day 248 

The  Beautiful  Lac  qui  Parle 249 

A  Beautiful  Country— Big  Stone  Lake 249 

Celebrating  a  Birthday — First  Buffalo  Hunt 249 

Finding  of  Human  Skeletons 25 1 

Camp  Between  Lakes  Big  Stone  and  Traverse 252 

Adieu  With  Regrets  to  Camp  McLaren— Buffalo  "Chips"  for  Fuel 252 

July  Fourth  on  the  Cheyenne  River 254 

Story  of  an  Ancient  Battle — The  Indian  as  a  Reconteur 255 

Gymnastic  Weather— Heat,  Cold  and  Chill 255 

Beautiful  Country — Taunt  of  the  Mirage — The  Balm  of  Air-Castles 256 

In  the  Saddle  at  2  in  the  Morning— Tolac  Lake— Beautiful  Camp  Ground . .  258 

Killing  an  Elk  Within  the  Lines — Founding  Camp  Atchison 259 

Cowardly  Deed  of  Lieut.  Field— Furor  in  Camp 259 

General  Sibley's  Busy  Day— A  Dash  for  the  Missouri 260 

A    Visit  from  Chippewa  Buffalo    Hunters — Pointers  They  Gave    Us — 

Reaching  the  James  River — Indian  Signs 261 

Finding  the  Sioux— Battle  of  Big  Mound— Death  of  Dr.  Weiser— Escape 
of  George  A.  Brackett— All  Day  and  AH  Night  in  the  Saddle- 
Indian  Holds  Up  Stars  and  Stripes — Running  Fight  of  Fifteen  Miles  262 

Battle  of  Dead  Buffalo  Lake 269 

Battle  of  Stony  Lake— Spectacular  Scene 270 

Great  Quantities  of  Dried  Buffalo  Meat— Robes  Galore 272 

Entering  the  Missouri  Valley — Striking  the   Missouri — Death   of  Lieut. 

Beaver.  273 

On  the  Grouud  Where  Bismarck  Stands 275 

Turning  Homeward — Great  Joy  in  Camp 276 

Death  of  Chaska,  a  Really  Noble  Indian 277 


INDEX.  iii 

Inkpaduta  Not  a  Leader— Lean  Bear  Dead 275 

Crystal  Springs — Name  Given  by  Gen.  Sibley — Back  at  Camp  Atchison — 

Capture  of  Little  Crow's  Son 277 

Camp  Atchison  Abandoned — Homeward  Bound 278 

Timely  Capture  of  Cattle — Old  Council  Ground — On  Quarter  Rations — 

Capt.  Allen  Kills  Buffalo  Where  Redwood  Falls  Now  Stands 279 

Behold  the  Transformation- — The  End.  281 

Illustrations. 

Red  Iron 12 

Plan  of  Fort  Ridgely 37 

Two  Views  of  Fort  Ridgely 38 

Cut  Nose 146 

Dr.  Alfred  Muller 167 

Standing  Buffalo 1 77 

Little  Crow 183 

Gen.  H.  H,  Sibley 237 

Officers  who  distinguished  themselves  in  the  defense  of  Fort  Ridgely,  and 
other  prominent   characters,  on   pages  following  page  227 — properly  indicated. 


